Harry Potter and Fate's Foible
by Technophobia678
Summary: When Harry Potter, the brother of the BWL is chosen as the fourth Champion of the TriWizard Tournament, fate is forever altered. Secrets are discovered, an old enemy returns and ancient magic entwines two souls together-forever. Harry/Fleur
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter and Fate's Foible

When Harry Potter, the brother of the boy who lived is forced to compete in the TriWizard Tournament, the fallout from long held beliefs, enemies lurking in the shadows and ancient magic forever alter the live of the young wizard.

Harry/Fleur

Hermione/Neville

Inspired from Thor's Shadow's 'Champions'. Epic story and one I really hope gets updated again.

Everyone has to do a wrong BWL story don't they? I've read countless and have outlines for countless variations of the overused plot, but-who cares? It's a classic. In this one, I plan to add some twists that are, hopefully, not _too_ overused.

All recognisable characters belong to JK Rowling, a woman I admire more than any other.

The characters not present in the canon version are mine.

The air at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on the 24th of February 1994 was quite chilly, which wasn't unusual for Scotland around this time of year. Most wouldn't venture out of the relative warmth of the ancient castle voluntarily. With the Second Task of the TriWizard Tournament only minutes away, the excitement had largely negated the cold. The vast majority of people were sitting in recently erected stands that ringed around the lake of Hogwarts, nattering incessantly, awaiting the beginning of the Task with enthusiasm.

For those about to compete in the Tournament, they were considerably less eager.

"I can't believe this" Harry muttered. "I really, really, _really_ don't bloody believe-"

"Your hostages are being guarded by the mermen of the Black Lake for the moment" Ludo Bagman said with undisguised cheerfulness. It made Harry want to hex him. Wearing ill-fitting yellow and black robes from his glory days, he stuck out at the judge's table even beside the lurid purple Dumbledore was wearing and the large figure of Madame Maxime.

"Now you have one hour to complete the task. Points will be deducted for returning beyond the hour limit-"

"Did my parents agree to this?" Harry interrupted, drawing disapproving stares from the panel of judges. Harry just kept his eyes trained on the spokesperson of this-event-silently demanding an answer.

"Everything is in order Harry. Please calm down." Dumbledore spoke up saving Bagman from having to answer the menacing teen that was still glaring at the discomfited man. The headmasters tone was gently chiding, dismissing his concern. But Harry was immune.

"Err, yes of course" Bagman smile was a little strained since he was still being subjected to a death glare. "Now-"

Harry abruptly turned his back on the panel and marched over to the edge of the lake, ignoring the calls to come back. He was vaguely aware of the crowd's noise and the other champions laying into Bagman but it was immaterial at the moment, since he was trying to keep control of himself and not set the panel table on fire.

He ignored the rest of the blithering idiot's speech and concentrated on breathing to keep himself in check. In and out. He shucked his robe without any fanfare or embarrassment; he had more important things to worry about than the catcalls of his fellow students.

He had no idea what his parents were thinking, but what else was new? If anything happened….dimly he caught something out of the corner of his eye; the other champions moving to the edge of the lake. They didn't look any happier than he. Fleur Delacour looked particularly pale and he felt more for her than he had ever done so.

He clenched his fists. His wand strapped to his wrist in its holster. He held a wad of Gillyweed in a clenched hand and had the handy penknife he gotten from his godfather in the ridiculous red and gold Gryffindor trunks he'd found this morning from his parents. They had known and allowed this to happen.

He honestly hadn't expected this. "_We've taken what you'll sorely miss_". It hadn't occurred to him that it'd be a person. He hadn't given it much thought; he'd been too busy trying to decipher the egg's clue. And then came figuring out the underwater breathing, then handy spells to learn, etc. It was just left alone. If you can't deal with it, don't worry about it, was his Uncle Moony's motto. But that didn't help him being blindsided.

He stared at the lake water, a steel grey that reflected the sky that was rapidly growing darker. The lake was growing restless as an eerie calm began to sweep through him. Power coiled in his belly. This had happened only once before in his life, but he knew what it meant. He didn't fight it, only allowed the power to pool and swell. Absently he let the ball of Gillyweed drop to the ground.

The noise of the crowd began to quieten as Bagman moved forward, the tip of his wand at his throat.

"_Sonorus!_" the roar of the man's voice helped pull Harry back a little.

"Well, all of our champions are ready for the second task which begins on my whistle. They have one hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three. One….two…."

Slowly Harry backed away from the lake, the power in him threatening to spill over. Magic was all about intent-and magic that he had not been able to master before would aid him now.

The shrill whistle pierced the air seemed to be the signal. The magic spilled over as he began to run. He could feel it surging and twisting as he sped up. As he jumped off the ground, the crowd were treated to the sight of the underage champion leaping into the air, before flipping once, twice-a shimmering tail appearing out of nowhere-and diving deep into the icy depths.

XX

Fleur Delacour was frantic.

Gabrielle. They had taken Gabrielle. Her baby sister.

She flung herself into the freezing water the second the dratted whistle blew. Hastily she applied a powerful Bubble-Head Charm on herself along with spells of speed and strength before striking out and diving underneath the water.

Icy knifes clawed at her skin the moment she fully submerged. Her sleek clothes pulled her down as she was almost buffeted by a sudden surge of current.

She was an _idiot_. Why had she allowed her Headmistress to persuade her to join this ridiculous Tournament? To prove herself in the eyes of classmates, to show that not only was she beautiful but that she was top of her class for a reason. That she was smart and capable of such a feat, to bring glory to the Beauxbatons Academy!

She had been an ambitious fool and was now completely over her head. If anything happened to Gabrielle…tears stung her eyes before she hastily blinked them away. If anything happened to her sister because she joined this wretched tournament, she would never forgive herself. Never.

She forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Her sight was almost non-existent; she could only see a few feet in front of her. She had to struggle to keep herself underwater; the pressure and her own instincts struggling to make her rise to the surface. She struck out, managing to propel herself forward at what felt like terrible slowness.

The world around her was foggy and dark. She lit her wand with apprehension, wary of the beasts she heard dwelled in these waters. The charms on her clothes, keeping them dry and warm were working thank the Goddess, but the cold still attacked her, determined to get rid of this intruder in its realm.

She sank deeper into the water, so that she could see the large volumes of seaweed waving lazily in the current. Loose rocks and pebbles glinted dully from the tip of her wand, intermingled with large expanses of black mud. Fish flitted past her. Occasionally she thought she saw something large in the distance, only to discover it to be a fallen log or a particularly dense clump of seaweed. It was so _quiet._

She forced herself to stop after what felt like fifteen minutes, frustrated. This wasn't working. She had no idea where to go. She held her wand out.

"_Trouver _Gabrielle" she murmured.

Her wand spun feebly on her outstretched palm, bobbing, pointing in no definite direction.

She gave a snarl. "_Trouver_ Gabrielle!" she barked, pushing her magic into her wand. This time the wand twisted reluctantly, pointing in a northwest direction. She felt a small tug on her magic that could only be Gabrielle's magic.

She muttered a curse before striking out in the direction her wand pointed her to. Veela were creatures of fire and air. Water interfered with their magic, disrupting their powers. Her magic felt dull and constricted, like a flame being smothered by a blanket. Her instincts seemed to have deserted her. Bring glory to Beauxbatons…she and her sister would be lucky to survive this Goddess forsaken task.

Something slimy suddenly seized her ankle and she was yanked downwards.

XX

Harry inhaled sharply as he plunged into the water.

The rush of power had faded and a rush of information bombarded his mind. His eyes took in everything, identifying and interpreting the world and the sensations around him. He could sense the currents of the lake, the creatures around him. The water seemed to caress him, pulsing in tune with his magic.

Those that heard of Harry Potter knew him only as the brother of Nathan Potter, brother of the Boy Who Lived. Eldest son of Lily and James Potter. Best friend to Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger.

Very few knew of his hidden talent.

The joining of Lily Evans and James Potter was an unknown melding of magic. Powerful ancestors with unusual abilities that had manifested in their children.

Nathan Potter was one such child. He was the first energy absorber the Wizarding World had seen in over a hundred years. Merlin himself was rumoured to be such a wizard; beings who could absorb and manipulate sources of energy around them and could release it as highly potent spells. Wizards such as this were known as Mages, extremely rare and very powerful.

The information was highly secret for fear of it being passed onto those still sympathetic to the Dark Lord's cause. As such few knew Nathan's ability.

Even fewer knew of Harry's.

People believed him to be perfectly ordinary compared to his brother, a good student and nothing more. But his talent gave him different abilities to his brother. The power to command and control elements.

Harry breathed in and out. He was breathing as easily as if he was on land. He studied himself. The upper half of his body appeared to be unchanged, a somewhat lightly muscled skinny body of an active healthy young man. It was his lower half of his body that had changed. His legs were gone and in their place was a long sinewy fish like tail, with elegant fins running along the sides. The colour appeared to be a deep green.

Experimentally, he gave his tail a swish, feeling the power that rippled through him. Dimly he was stunned by what he'd achieved. But it wasn't time to reflect. He would not be able to hold onto this form for long and though his form was half human, it still had different thought processes to him as normal.

He shot forward with a flick of his tail. With the greatest of ease he propelled himself through the water, the water behind him pushing him along. He knew, instinctively, where he had to go. He twisted and curled through the water, eyes that did not seem to need to blink taking in everything with laser precision. Fish darted out of his path. He was careful to avoid the Grindylows he could sense lurking in the seaweed though they did not appear to be interested in him either.

He burst over a crag of rocks with a flurry of bubbles. The familiar haunting song taunted him:

"_An hour long you have to look_

_And to recover what we took…"_

He could make out something now. Hermione would _love_ to see this.

He had arrived at what appeared to be a village made roughly of stone. And in and around this village were the merpeople.

He looked nothing like them. The mermen had greyish skin and wild scraggly green hair. Their eyes were yellow and they had broken, shark like teeth. Their tails were the colour of Sickles and they carried crude spears and tridents.

The mermen's eyes bulged when they spotted Harry. They hastily moved out of the way, staring. He swam past them warily but they didn't seem like they wished to bar him from going past. He made his way towards the village unimpeded.

As he got closer he could see merpeople drifting out of the houses to watch him go by. He could see them whisper to each other urgently as he passed them. Young merchildren were staring and pointing at him.

A large crowd of merpeople were outside the houses now. And at what appeared to be a village square was a choir of merpeople still singing the melody to lure the champions here. And behind them was a huge merperson statue hewn from the same rock as the houses. And tied to the statue…

_Rosie!_

He almost lost control then. Tied to the tail of the statue were four female figures all appearing to be deeply asleep, heads lolling and mouths billowing bubbles.

One of those figures was Rosalyn Agatha Potter the only daughter of Lily and James Potter, their youngest child and Harry's baby sister.

Exactly what his nine year old sister was doing here at all was a discussion Harry was very keen to have with his parents later on.

Gathering control of himself, he threw himself towards the statue. Rose was tied between Cho Chang and Morag McDougal, Cedric and Krum's hostages. The fourth was a very pretty blonde child around Rose's age that he knew to be Fleur's younger sister. All four appeared to be unaware of the world around them for which he was grateful.

They were tied to the statue with seaweed that was very strong and slimy. He still had his knife and trunks which were over his tail, but it wasn't necessary. He reached out and pulled hard. The seaweed obligingly pulled away, causing Rose to float unaware.

Anxiously he checked her over, but she appeared fine, though still asleep. He pulled her to him and held her close as he looked around. He had no idea how long it had been since the task started but there was no sign of the other champions. Where were they?

"Do not interfere."

Startled, he spun around, keeping Rose close. One of the larger mermen had drifted closer to him. He was carrying a trident, but kept it away from the humans. His head was bowed, nonthreatening.

"Each champion must take their own and leave the others." His luminous eyes met his and Harry could see respect and awe in them. "They will not be harmed."

Harry met his eyes. He only just realised that this merman wore an elaborate necklace made of pebbles and shells, much larger than the others. He was the chieftain.

He dipped his head in acknowledgement and the chieftain returned it, raising his trident.

"Go back water wizard and come again" he called as the choir's voice swelled to a crescendo. Harry zipped upward, carrying his baby sister and lifted his tail in acknowledgement before speeding away.

XX

"_Relashio!"_

The vicious little water demon gripping her ankle was shoved backwards in the water, tentacles spinning. Its friends however, were closing in, grabbing hold of her clothes and limbs, trying to pull her under the seaweed.

Desperately she thrashed side to side hexing as many of the Grindylows as she could but the outcome was becoming bleak. More and more of the dangerous little beasts were appearing, and her magic was significantly weaker than in it usually was. She felt one bite her calve while another got a good hold of her hair streaming behind her and yanked mercilessly. She twisted around and sent a series of hexes around her, before feeling a tentacle wrap itself around her wrist and pull sharply.

She let out a scream of pain before shrieking _"Confringo!"_

The force of the explosion hurled her upwards out of the seaweed they were dragging her to and some of the critters were blasted away. Unfortunately the remaining ones were now incensed and swarmed her like angry hornets.

She lashed out with her legs and magic, trying to force them back. It was becoming harder to breathe and she realised with horror that the Bubble-Head Charm was fading. She was putting so magic into trying to protect herself from the water demons she couldn't hold the concentration and power needed to keep the charm going.

There seemed to be more of the things now and they were all she could see. She angled her wand downwards, intending to perform Blasting Curses to force her to rise upwards when one of the Grindylows tentacles seized her by the neck.

Her composure deserted her. Her hands struggled against the powerful grips holding them to go to her throat. She wheezed as air was forced out of her lungs. The Bubble-Head Charm flickered and died.

The grip around her throat tightened. She tried to breathe and water filled her nose and mouth. Panic made her twist and turn, her thoughts solely on the fact that there was no air, she couldn't breathe, her chest _ached-_

Flashes of light danced across her eyelids as something shoved her hard. She felt the slimy fingers that had clutched her release and she felt herself rising.

_Am I dying?_ She wondered vaguely. As she moved faster, darkness rolled across her vision and she had one last thought.

_Gabrielle forgive me._

XX

Harry's head broke the surface of the lake. Gasping he hauled his dead weight cargo while his companions, a trio of mermaids following him.

Rose drew a shuddering breath and yawned. Huge bright blue eyes flickered open and she lifted her head, pushing her soaking wet hair out of the way.

"Hu-Harry?" wincing she hunched forward a little, trembling.

"Are you alright Rosie?" Harry said anxiously even as he checked over his unconscious fellow champion. Fleur was a mass of cuts and scrapes and bites and her clothes were ripped and bloody. She didn't appear to be breathing.

"She's not" Rose gasped. Huge eyes looked up at her brother. "And neither are you. What _happened_?"

Harry didn't answer. He was busy trying to get Fleur breathing. He couldn't use his wand because he was transformed but maybe…he held Fleur up and held his hand over her mouth. Water that entered Fleur's lungs forced its way back up through her mouth and nose, leaving them clear.

Instantly Fleur's eyes snapped open to his relief, but he grew concerned again when she couldn't seem to draw air in. She was hyperventilating, not able to breathe.

"Harry!" Rose cried out in alarm just as her big brother leaned over the stricken witch and put his lips against hers. Praying this would work he blew into her mouth gently, ignoring his embarrassment. At least she would be alive if she wanted to hex him later.

Fleur's frantic struggles calmed as she breathed in the air given to her…and promptly started coughing. Spluttering, she managed to draw air into her lungs. Shuddering, she forced her eyes open and met concerned, mesmerising green.

"Are you alright?" her fellow Champion asked.

Fleur didn't answer. It hurt to breathe; her chest ached and her lungs burned. Her skin stung from numerous cuts and bites and she was cold to her bones.

"_Que s_-" she stopped and took a deep breath. And another. "W-what…"

"I saw you fighting the Grindylows and came over to help" Harry supplied. "There was a whole swarm of them."

She shuddered as the memories assailed her. She felt cold, numb and strangely tingly as tremors wracked her. She glanced around her and to her surprise saw a drenched dark haired little girl, looking very like Harry beside her watching her with eyes far too old for her face.

She had to be Harry's sister. Sister…

"Gabrielle!" she bolted forward, nearly knocking the Potters over. She ignored the pain and her senses begging not to go under the water again.

"Fleur it's ok" Harry tried to calm her down, but she was quickly becoming hysterical. He glanced around, noticing for the first time how far away they were from the lakes shores. He could pick out movement and noise from there but they were too far to swim with Fleur so upset.

Then Rose grabbed her bare wrist and Fleur flinched as a foreign presence invaded her mind, projecting calm forcefully into her consciousness. The bedraggled Veela stared at the child.

A loud screech made them turn towards the mermaids. They appeared anxious. They gestured at them, trying to herd them towards the shore.

"They're going to bring us back to the shore" Harry shifted to let Fleur move on her own. "Fleur the merpeople aren't going to hurt your sister. They'll be brought back when the tasks over."

"I can't" she gasped, struggling to break the calm that Rose Potter had forced on her. She tried to twist out of his grasp. "Eet ees not safe you must let me-"

"Fleur" Harry interrupted firmly, catching her by the shoulder. Blue eyes met green. He had very pretty eyes, she thought abstractly, unable to look away from them. A fine thread of magic inside her thrummed and coiled but she couldn't identify it.

"I'll get her for you" Harry said and Fleur blinked, the spell broken.

"Y-you"

"I'll get her" Harry repeated. He looked away for a moment to look at a mermaid. The merwoman's face appeared troubled but she nodded to Harry and Harry nodded back.

Rose's face was anxious. "Har…"

"Go with the mermaids Rosie. I'll see you in a few minutes" Harry said firmly, glancing at his baby sister. Their eyes met and Rose bit her lip, before nodding reluctantly.

"Ok, go on" Harry let go of the pair and both girls were caught by a single mermaid. The last mermaid stayed beside Harry.

"'Arry" Fleur said suddenly, catching the boy's arm, causing him to turn back. He was exhausted, Fleur realised, with a pang of guilt. Whatever he had done to himself had taken much magic and retrieving his sister and rescuing her had drained him further. And now he was willing to go back and get her sister, she who had insulted him and called him a liar.

Words seemed terribly inadequate. She owed this boy…young man her life. Frozen, lungs aching, she struggled to find words, before finally whispering "Thank you."

Harry gave her a small smile. He leaned over and squeezed her arm.

A sudden shock of heat coursed through her numb arm, sending feeling and a chorus of tingling sparks through it, travelling upwards towards her chest.

Harry felt it too. He drew away looking startled. He shifted away from her with a swish of his tail. He gave her a small smile, before giving his worried sister a hug and disappearing under the water again.

XX

This was not a good idea.

Harry knew that his transformation was not controlled. As such there was a high chance of it collapsing very soon. And if it happened here, with his magic significantly drained-

He pushed himself further into the water, the water itself propelling him further while his guide lead him unnecessarily towards the village. He at one point saw a half human half shark creature, holding the limp figure of Morag MacDougal.

He could feel himself waning as he followed the mermaid over the rock formation. First time was the worst; it was impossible to predict when and for how long you remained in the form. He needed to leave now.

Gabrielle was the only remaining hostage tied to the statue; Cedric and Krum had obviously been and gone. The mermaid who had accompanied him had swum to the chieftain and was gesturing at the statue and at Harry. The chief looked between them and locked eyes with Harry before inclining his head.

Harry bounded over to the statue, the seaweed recoiling away from the girl as he neared. Catching her he twisted away, waving in thanks to the crowds of merpeople singing and watching him in amazement, as he took off, the chief and his guide following him. Several other merpeople followed them for a while, twisting and zooming around them, before falling back and waving.

Harry commanded the water to push him upwards. His movements were becoming sluggish. His head was beginning to ache and his arms were tired from swimming and holding comatose females. He could feel himself starting to fade and forced himself to pick up the pace.

The following mermaid caught him by the elbow and started to push him upward. The chieftain shifted his trident to grasp the boy's other elbow, guiding him towards the surface. Harry certainly appreciated it; he was beginning to feel lightheaded.

His body shuddered and rippled. His magical form was beginning to dissipate. Darkness was starting to edge across his vision.

Then he felt it, the sudden collapse of his magical form.

_No! _

His sleek streamlined tail shimmered away, revealing a pair of skinny legs from a young male teenager. They flailed in the water, uncoordinated and awkward compared to the smooth and graceful movements of his tail. The easy intake of oxygen from the water faded and he couldn't concentrate to bring that feeling back.

He nearly crumpled, but the two merpeople held him, forcing him upwards. His eyes rolled upward. Darkness was threatening to overwhelm him. The little girl was starting to slip from his grasp.

_No._

Power began to build inside him, starting from his belly and rising upwards. Like a powerful surge from the ocean it slammed into him, knocking his helpers aside as he shot towards the surface.

His head broke the surface and he gasped, heaving in great gulps of air. The shock of hitting cold air slapped him harshly, making the power surge disappear as quickly as it had arrived.

Gabrielle woke the moment her head broke the surface. Blinking and coughing slightly, she struggled upright, looking bewildered and frightened. Harry would have tried to reassure her, but he was too busy breathing to say much of anything.

Then a screech came from behind them and the two merpeople he had accidently left behind reappeared again. It was then he became aware of the loud noise from the crowds that he'd almost forgotten about. The shoreline was really far away.

The mermaid looked mildly exasperated, but was smiling without showing her teeth as she held her arms out to Gabrielle. The little girl clung to Harry, the only human present.

"It's ok" he told her, fighting the weariness that threatened to drag him back under the water. "She's going to take you to your sister Fleur, ok?"

The little girl clearly didn't understand much English but she clearly recognised her sister's name. She glanced at the fearsome looking mermaid and looked back at Harry timidly. He mustered a smile and nodded, and with a little encouragement, she went over to the mermaid who started swimming back to shore.

That left Harry with the Chieftain, who caught Harry's swaying torso and carefully swam towards the shore of the lake and the chattering and cheering crowd of spectators.

"Thank you" Harry murmured to the Chieftain, grateful of the help he gave to him when he didn't have to as such a high ranking member of his society.

The Chieftain merely gave what looked like a warm smile to him and kept going. He could now make out several figures waiting at the edge of the shoreline.

A sudden thought crossed his weary mind and he turned his head to face the Chieftain. "Don't tell them what I am. Please" he breathed.

The merman gazed at the bone weary bedraggled teenager who possessed one of the rarest gifts to be blessed with and was revered by all those who understood it. And that was why he probably did not want it revealed to the narrow-minded people that were the majority of wizards. He held the boy's gaze and dipped his head in acknowledgement.

The mermaid had now reached the shore, and gently hoisted the soaked little witch onto the ground.

"_Gabrielle!"_

A cut and bloody Fleur Delacour broke free from her Headmistress and Healer Pomfrey's restraints and raced over to her sister. Gabrielle dashed forward, eliminating the distance and allowing her big sister to sweep her up in a crushing hug, falling to her knees and sobbing into her baby sister's hair.

Harry also had someone waiting for him, or rather two someone's. Typically it wasn't his parents.

"Harry!"

In the red robes of an Auror and black dragon hide boots, Captain Sirius Black was at the edge of the lake, actually splashing out to meet him and the merman, face pale, drawn and worried. Still on the shore, Rose had a blanket on her shoulders, long black hair in rat tails and expression pinched and anxious.

The Chieftain easily lifted Harry upwards to Sirius who pulled him out of the water before engulfing him in a fierce hug, holding him off the ground.

The crowds were cheering and shouting stuff that Harry couldn't bring himself to pay attention to. He thought he saw the Delacour sisters nearby with Beauxbatons Headmistress standing over them over Sirius's shoulder. He also spotted the fashion disasters Bagman and Dumbledore; Dumbledore on his haunches and screeching to the merpeople while Bagman was cheerfully bouncing on the balls of his feet. Karkaroff was still sitting at the judge's table.

"Are you alright pup?" Sirius said anxiously, pulling back to properly look at his godson.

Harry didn't actually have to answer because it was at that moment Sirius let him down on the ground. His legs promptly gave out and he would have fallen if his alarmed godfather hadn't grabbed him. Harry was unconscious before Sirius caught him and began yelling for a Healer.

Very, very long chapter. There will be prequel chapters coming up to explain things as the timeline progresses.

The Potter family- Lily and James Potter had three children, twin boys Harry and Nathan and a daughter Rosalyn called Rose. All three children have unusual talents, Harry a rare Elemental, Nathan an energy absorber (Mage) and Rose an empath. All three gifts have been recorded in the family trees of both parents. It'll be explained better later on.

Well that's the first chapter. It took ages and I'd appreciate comments on it even if they're less than flattering.


	2. Chapter 2

He was hot, so hot. He stirred restlessly, feeling the heat that seemed to centre in his chest. His head ached and he longed to slip back into the soothing darkness, but twitching muscles and awful heat prevented him.

Something was wrong. He frowned, struggling to think, to remember. What had happened?

He thought he heard something, low and sweet as something wonderfully cold and wet was put against his face. His eyes flickered, trying to figure out what was happening.

A blurry face was leaning over him, gently patting his face with a white cloth. He vaguely recognised the woman's face.

"Mum?" he croaked.

The woman leaned down and he felt her hair brush his cheek as she stroked his damp hair.

"It's alright Harry" she said gently, her voice soothing. He felt something tingle against his skin and his hot skin began to cool. Her dark hair tickled his nose.

Hang on…his mother had red hair…

"Go to sleep Harrybear" she whispered, still running her fingers through his hair. She hummed softly and he felt his eyelids grow heavy. They closed and his breathing evened out. Harry fell back asleep.

When he woke up again, it was because of heated voices nearby. He still felt drained and groggy, but more alert as the voices filtered through his brain.

"…got himself killed."

"He was worried for his sister James, he had no idea she had been taken" the voice of his aunt Alice said calmly. Harry had a moment of déjà vu but it passed.

"Albus said no-one would get hurt Alice" said a louder and higher woman's voice; Harry's mother.

"Well it's not like Harry knew that did he?" his godfather's voice was angry. "'An hour gone, the prospects black' ring a bell? It's not like the Champions knew their hostages would safe, did they, with that running through their heads."

"The organisers wouldn't let the hostages be harmed Padfoot" James Potter snapped exasperatedly.

"Oh and that makes it ok then?" Sirius's voice was rising. "Never mind the fact the French Minister of Defence is at this moment in time yelling at Dumbledore for kidnapping his underage daughter without his knowledge or consent and his other daughter was nearly killed from the Grindylows, it's alright because everyone knew no-one was going to be hurt…since this effing Tournament was cancelled due to the death toll in the first place!"

"Sirius this is none of your business" James growled, sounding hacked off.

Harry suppressed a groan, and tried to figure out if it was worth the effort to roll onto his stomach and bury his head under the pillow. The bickering adults were loud and making the dull ache in his skull sharpen painfully.

He blinked his eyes open, the lids a lot heavier than they should have been. He found himself staring up at a blank white ceiling. He blinked again. There was a familiar smell of antiseptic and cleaning supplies in the air that made his nose twitch. He was lying on practical cotton white sheets that were not as comfortable as his room at home or in Hogwarts.

Hogwarts…argh, the Hospital Wing. Why was he in the Hospital Wing?

Blinking, he tried to lift his head, but he gave up quite quickly. He could still hear his parents and godparents arguing behind the privacy sheet around his bed.

"Hey Harry."

Harry's heart suddenly palpitated. He craned his head and got a glimpse of his baby sister sitting on the bed beside his. She looked a little paler than usual and her long black hair was loose instead of in its usual plaits. Her big sapphire eyes were taking in her brother's appearance.

Rose. The TriWizard Tournament…the second task. Wincing, he tried to get up, but Rose shook her head and went over to him.

"They've been arguing for a while" his sister whispered, looking tired. Concern fought his weariness. Rose was a budding empath and she shouldn't be anywhere near Hogwarts with the large number of angst filled teenagers and guests and adults. Her shields weren't well developed yet.

Rose gave him a look "I'm fine" she said looking her big brother in the eye. "You though managed to drain yourself big time, you silly prat. I told you not to go back."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't bother to refute it. Especially considering it would cost him even more energy to argue.

Rose winced and shot a glare at the privacy curtain behind which the voices had risen again. She then clambered onto Harry's bed and then onto him, making him grunt. She snuggled into him, wrapping herself around her big brother, drawing comfort from his familiar energy and using it to tune out the rest of the emotions in the air.

Harry smiled faintly as his baby sister draped herself on top of him like a large affectionate cat. He managed to move one of his arms around her waist to keep her from falling accidently. His head rested against hers as eyes closed and he slipped back asleep, his sister following him to dreamland.

XX

"Zee Eenglish. _Imbeciles_" Mademoiselle Laurent growled under her breath, sounding disgusted. Her shoulder length dark hair was pulled away from her face in an elegant bun. Her pretty face was however twisted into disapproval as she checked her charge over, muttering in French about idiotic Englishmen and their moronic ideas.

Fleur stifled a flinch as the Healer's wand pressed into a particularly deep cut, cleansing it and knitting the skin together. Various salves and potions had been forced on and into her to fight any infection and to raise her body temperature. Both Mademoiselle Laurent and Madame Maxime were very angry at how the Task had gone. For a Tournament that was supposedly safe, it was incredible no-one had died yet. As it was, Fleur had nearly lost her life in this ridiculous Tournament.

It would be dismissed of course. Her _heritage_ it was claimed had been the reason of the attack. As such it was deemed an unfortunate accident and no fault to the organisers of the Tournament. Her Headmistress was furious.

But they would not be able to brush aside Jean Claude Delacour's allegation of kidnapping so easily. The politician had been livid at the cavalier dismissal of his eldest daughters attack and his youngest daughter's disappearance and was channelling this into icy ruthlessness. By now the French Minister for Magic had lodged a complaint to the British Ministry and the ICW for the kidnapping of Gabrielle Delacour by the Headmaster of Hogwarts and British Ministry officials. It was unlikely to amount to much, but it would provide ample fodder for the international community and be highly embarrassing for the British. Fleur would have preferred to roast Dumbledore's hide with the fireballs she could summon when she was very angry, but Dumbledore was too well connected and revered among the British to get more than a slap on the wrist.

The sooner this accursed Tournament was over the better as far as she was concerned.

"Healer Pomfrey did a good initial diagnosis" Laurent told her in French. "Though it would have been better if you had allowed yourself to be properly treated earlier."

"Gabrielle had to be looked after" she replied, grimacing at the sensation of the healing paste being rubbed vigorously into her skin.

The Beauxbatons Healer sighed and gently pulled Fleur's natty and snarled hair up and out of the way to reach her back and neck. There was a large vivid purple ring around her neck where the Grindylow had strangled her. Laurent cursed softly and applied gentle fingers to massage her patient's throat. Fleur felt some of her tension seep out of her as the throbbing begun to fade, making breathing a little easier.

Laurent smiled as the girl relaxed. She had always been very fond of Fleur whose life in Beauxbatons had been anything but easy. Years of overawed boys and envious girls had made her school times a very lonely place and she had made sure to let her know her door was always open.

"Bruising is deep" Laurent murmured to herself and her patient. "Though confined. It would have been able to strangle you had it held on much longer. You are very lucky Fleur."

"Yes" Fleur said softly, bowing her head.

"You said that Hogwarts other Champion saved you?" Laurent asked, wiping her hands in a cloth.

"Yes" she sighed and stifled a cough that threatened to escape. It didn't escape her Healer's notice who lifted her head sharply, piercing her patient with calculating eyes.

"You didn't happen to swallow any of the water when you were attacked perchance?" she asked sweetly, a dangerous look in her eyes.

Fleur winced and clenched her fingers hard on the examination table's edges hard. The memory flashed through her again; thrashing in the greenish black water, water demons dragging her to the crushing depths, her lungs trying to take in oxygen and filling with liquid instead. She closed her eyes and breathed shallowly, her lungs suddenly burning.

Warmth suddenly suffused her and she lifted her head to see Mademoiselle Laurent lowering her wand, having cast a Warming and Calming Charm in quick succession. She let out a shaky breath and nodded in thanks, relaxing involuntarily.

"Fleur" Mademoiselle Laurent was soft and firm, crouching a little to look her in the eyes. The Healer's eyes were gentle. "Tell me what happened."

Fleur drew in her breath, held it and then exhaled. The process still hurt but it was getting better.

"The Grindylows attacked me" Fleur said softly, gripping the table tightly. This part was well known at this point. "There were so many…my charm failed. And I…I panicked. I couldn't breathe and"

"Easy" Laurent soothed, rubbing her back when the young woman's breathing became agitated. She was inwardly frowning however. Her initial scans had detected no water in her patient's lungs.

"What happened then?"

"I woke up" Fleur said softly, meeting her Healer's eyes. "One minute I was drowning…and the next I was at the surface with Harry and his sister."

"You were unconscious under the water?" Mademoiselle Laurent queried, definitely worried now.

Fleur nodded slowly, processing this. She had passed out under water. She should be dead right now.

Her Healer was now performing intricate wand movements over her head and along her back. It was baffling. There was indirect evidence of water in the lungs; the tissue was somewhat enlarged from the fluid that caused it to expand. But other than that her lungs showed no actual water. It was as if the water had been expelled from the lungs already.

"Did the other Champion-Harry, yes?-do anything?" Laurent asked retrieving an anti-inflammatory potion used specifically for the lungs.

Fleur blushed and forced herself to swallow the potion, grimacing at the foul taste. Laurent raised her eyebrow at the uncharacteristic gesture.

"I couldn't catch my breath" Fleur said slowly, feeling her cheeks burn. She hadn't given this much thought but it was now clearly stamped in her conscious in glorious detail. "He, uh, he gave me mouth to mouth."

Aimée Laurent raised her eyebrows, suppressing a smirk by sheer force of will. "Did he?" she asked casually, putting the potion bottle back for reuse. "That was very good of him."

Fleur gave her a look, not appreciating the undercurrent of amusement in her Healers voice. She was also flustered at the realisation that she had had her first sort of kiss, despite it being in life giving circumstances. It was a trifling detail in the scale of things that was quickly taking priority.

Laurent chuckled at her expression. "Did he do anything else? A spell?"

"Not that I know" Fleur shrugged helplessly, feeling overwhelmed. It was slowly dawning on her just what Harry had done for her. He had saved her life. He had driven away the Grindylows and brought her to the surface as she lost consciousness, only to revive her and save her sister. It was a sobering realisation to realise how much she owed a fourteen year old boy who she had previously held in mild contempt.

Laurent smiled gently at her patient, patting her hand. The poor young woman had had a trying day. She cast a quick charm just to ascertain there were no more open wounds or deep bruising left to treat. Satisfied, she cast a spell to check on her magic levels.

She frowned at her results. Fleur had reported her magic significantly weakened underwater, not terribly surprising. Her reserves had been noticeably drained when Laurent had first examined her. Her magic was beginning to recover now that she was warmed dried and out of the water, but there was still something off about what she was seeing.

She cast the spell again, studying the image of her patient's magical core. She narrowed her eyes and hummed softly; casting several more spells for clarification.

"I'm picking up some unusual activity in your magical core" she said finally. "I don't know what it is but I don't like it."

Fleur picked up her head in alarm. Something was wrong with her magic?

"It could be nothing but better to be safe than sorry" Aimée smiled apologetically at her charge. "Your family Healer may know more. I am not an expert on Veela and that's the only thing I can think of that's causing your magic to behave strangely. Do you feel anything?"

Fleur paused and closed her eyes, allowing herself to find her core. Warm and bright her magic tingled comfortingly, recovering from its ordeal. Tendrils of magic simmered in her blood, humming rhythmically, spreading out of her core and throughout her body. And yet…she frowned, opening her eyes. There was something-odd.

She turned to look at her Healer, whose eyebrows were drawn together.

"I'll Floo Healer Ramoné now" Laurent smiled and patted her patient's knee. Fleur sighed and nodded, tiredness seeping into her bones as relentlessly as the cold had done earlier. Laurent stopped at the sight and sympathy swelled. With a flick of her wand, Fleur's hair was clean and dry and falling down her back. Another flick of her wand turned the metal table into a mattress.

"Rest for a while, Cherie, you need it" Laurent squeezed her arm, smiling. "I'll let your father and your sister know."

Fleur couldn't muster the attempt to argue. She gratefully lay back on the Transfigured mattress, exhaustion making her boneless. It was possibly a good thing, she thought wearily, as she closed her eyes. She wouldn't have to make her way to her quarters listening to the malicious sniping behind her back about her performance in this wretched Tournament. She'd take every silver lining she could right now.

XX

Harry slept fitfully, drifting in and out of consciousness. He vaguely heard people murmur and move around him as he snuggled deeper into the bed, his sister's familiar weight on top of him. Even asleep, he instinctively knew she was there and didn't shift or roll over.

He had always been closer to his sister than the rest of his family. Even his twin brother Nathan Sirius was not as close to him as Rose. Whenever she had a nightmare or had a particularly bad day with her empathy, she would sneak into his room and curl up next to him until the morning.

Their family was very famous. The Potter family was a Noble and Ancient House, one of the oldest families in Britain. That held a lot of sway in the magical community and they were the only Potter's left. On the thirty first of October 1981, when Harry and Nathan were a year old, the Dark Lord Voldemort, leader of the pureblood extremists had attacked their home. Their grandmother Agatha Potter had been babysitting for their parents when he had attacked. No-one truly knew what happened, but when his parents returned, they found Agatha dead, a pile of ashes and two squalling babies, with blood on their faces, still in their playpen.

After consultation from Dumbledore it was announced that Agatha Potter had died protecting her two grandsons. Lord Voldemort had struck Nathan Potter with the Killing Curse, only for it to rebound upon its castor, destroying his body. Nathan Potter survived with nothing more than an S shaped scar on his forehead, while his brother gained a lightning shaped cut from a backlash of the evil magic. Nathan Potter had been declared the Boy Who Lived and everyone in the Wizarding World knew his name.

Being a sibling of the Boy Wonder wasn't easy. People hardly spared a thought for his brother and sister, other than to try and get to Nathan. It was rare people saw the boy behind the BWL title, let alone his brother and sister's identities.

It had not been an easy thing being Nathan's twin brother. His parents had tried hard, but with hordes of adoring well-wishers, sympathisers of the Dark Lord, politicians and work…slowly Harry found himself overshadowed.

It had gotten worse with the arrival of Rose. The parental attention got split three ways, diverting it drastically. When Rose's power manifested, things had changed again. Their parents had a celebrity son and a daughter with special needs. It meant Harry; supposedly the 'normal' one was often set aside.

Nights when Nathan was with their parents at functions and parties and later training sessions to control his magic, Harry was left behind with Rose. They often stayed with Uncle Moony or the Longbottoms, Uncle Padfoot dropping by when he was off duty. Rose was regularly taken to specialists and Healers to help her control her power and keep herself sane. Harry spent more time with the Longbottoms than he did his parents. Most of his activities-football matches, defence competitions-were attended by his pseudo aunts and uncles.

Harry groaned as the warm weight on top of him shifted. Automatically, he tightened his grip on his sister and shifted away on the bed, accidently moving away from the disturbance. Rose settled against him again and he fell back asleep.

XX

Harry blinked and hissed, squinting at the harsh light that blinded him. Slowly his vision swam into focus and he found himself staring at the white ceiling of the Hospital Wing. Grimacing at the foul taste in his mouth he tried to sit up.

_Mistake._

Harry groaned involuntarily, his body quaking. He hurt _everywhere_; muscles, tendons, cartilage, bones ached all over. The attempt was pitiful; he fell back against the pillow, shutting his eyes as pain wracked his body.

What the bloody hell had he done to himself?

"Harry!"

Harry cracked his eyes open and managed to turn his head a little to the voice. A very familiar person was beside him. Tall thin and a little scarred, his Uncle Moony was sitting beside the bed. His dark hair flecked with grey was a little in disarray and his prematurely aged face looked weary and worried. His amber brown eyes were warm and happy however as he leaned over to squeeze his nephew's hand.

"How're you doing cub?" he said gently, leaning forward.

"Sore" Harry whispered and tried to swallow. He winced and sagged against the pillow. His Uncle picked up a glass of water and helped him drink. It tasted wonderful.

"Where's Rose?" Harry asked tiredly feeling a little more aware and now noticing his sister wasn't on the bed anymore.

"She's with Madam Pomfrey and your parents" Remus's smile twitched slightly. "She's doing well but Poppy is difficult to convince. I think she's alright considering."

"Good" Harry sighed and winced at the twinge it caused.

"I'll just let her know you're up" Remus squeezed his hand reassuringly and ran a hand through his hair before walking away. Harry let his eyes close, his heading thumping. His eyelids seemed a lot heavier than usual.

Footsteps soon became louder and the privacy curtain opened.

"Ah Mr Potter you're awake" the feared mistress of medicine herself stated. Harry let his eyes open and look at the matron. He nearly groaned as he spied the vaguely familiar outlines behind her.

The bed suddenly sagged. His baby sister helpfully slid his glasses on his nose and everything sharpened into focus. He grinned tiredly in thanks. His contacts he'd worn earlier had clearly been removed.

Madam Pomfrey frowned disapprovingly at Rose who had no intentions of moving and had curled up on the bed. Harry fought a smile, before reluctantly glancing up.

"Hi Mum hi Dad" he said, giving them a small smile.

Lily Potter looked relieved, identical green eyes happy and worried. Her husband's expression was stiff and Harry abruptly remembered the argument he'd heard when he'd woken up earlier.

Ah crud.

"Oh Harry baby are you alright?" Lily moved to hug him; Harry tried not to wince as his muscles protested at the heartfelt squeeze. His mother pulled away to look into his eyes.

"Just what were you thinking young man?" she demanded, concern now melting into worried anger. "What on earth were you doing using such powerful magic? You could have killed yourself!" she pulled him into another tight hug, burying her face into Harry's hair.

"Good question" his father chose this moment to speak up, tone cool and dangerous. When James Potter the amiable well liked man spoke like that, it did not bode well. "A better question might be _where_ you learned such magic. I rather doubt you learned it from the school library."

"Not the school one" Harry said lazily. As he grew older he rather enjoyed irritating his father. As hazel eyes narrowed at him Harry he supplied a half truth. "Reginald's portrait told me." He took satisfaction in seeing his eyes bulge and narrow.

"I would like to examine my patient now Mr Potter" Madam Pomfrey announced, glancing pointedly at his father. His mother reluctantly pulled away and gestured for Rose to join her. She ignored her and Pomfrey sighed and began to wave her wand over Harry in complex patterns. He felt the tingle of magic on his skin, making it prickle and made a face.

"Neville and Hermione were camping outside the doors earlier" Rose told her brother, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "And Luna dropped by a while ago, along with some" she scrunched up her nose for a moment "Plimpy bean juice. Says it's really good for recovering from an attack by Aquavirius Maggots."

Harry raised an eyebrow, ignoring his parents' expressions.

"Tiny little bugs in water that get up peoples noses and make them want to drown themselves" Rose said, answering Harry's silent query, smiling innocently as Harry glared at her. He heard his Uncle Moony chuckle.

"Well I don't detect any presence of bugs on my scan Miss Potter" Pomfrey was smirking slightly. "And there doesn't appear to be any trace of water in your lungs Mr Potter. You have managed to drain your magical core significantly, no doubt from your extremely advanced self Transfiguration."

So that's what he did? He carefully avoided his father's eyes, silently sending out a thank you to the merpeople chieftain. He would have to go back to their village at some point and thank him in person.

"Hmm" Pomfrey's eyebrows rose as she looked at her readings. She jabbed her wand again, frowning.

"Is something wrong Poppy?" Lily asked anxiously.

"Not wrong exactly" Pomfrey replied, still scrutinising her results. Confused, Harry glanced at Rose who was studying the Healer intently, but frowning too.

"Poppy?" James prompted.

The witch sighed and looked up to study her patient. "Your magical core is recovering faster than I had anticipated. It was severely drained and it would normally be days or even weeks before a drained core recovers. Yours" she shook her head. "It's already recovering. If it continues at this rate, it should return to normal within a day or two."

Harry blinked at that. He knew his magic was weak, but he hadn't realised how long it normally took for drained magic to recover. He could already feel the ancient stones of the castle wrapping tendrils of magic around him, bolstering his reserves. The earth beneath them was siphoning energy away and allowing him to heal faster. If he concentrated, he could actually feel it. This was normal for him whenever he was ill or injured.

"Is that a problem Poppy?" Remus asked his expression contemplative.

"It doesn't appear to be" Poppy replied, shaking her head. "Your magic appears well developed Mr Potter. You would do better not to abuse it."

"No Ma'am" Harry nodded his head respectfully.

"So is everything alright then Poppy?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Despite the fact his magic is recovering faster than expected, your son is still suffering from exhaustion and muscle fatigue. He'll have to stay overnight for observation and will need a couple of potions to aid his muscles recovery and absolutely no magic until I say so" Pomfrey glared at Harry. "The last thing we need to see is a setback in your core's recovery because you rushed things Potter, do you understand?"

Harry nodded, ignoring the ache in his head. Pomfrey produced some foul looking potions out of thin air and did not move until he managed to swallow them. Gagging, he managed it and Moony helpfully got the water glass and helped him get rid of the rancid taste left behind.

"That looks disgusting" Rose observed the droplets left behind in the potion vials.

"Tastes as good as they look" Harry replied hoarsely, leaning back against the pillows. The potions may have been revolting, but he could feel his muscles relax and the pain in them ease.

A thought suddenly struck him and he glanced up sharply. "Is Fleur and her sister ok?" he asked.

"They're fine" his sister said instantly. "But Professor Dumbledore is in _trouble_." She sang, not sounding especially sympathetic.

"Rose" their father said sternly. Lily had now sat down on the edge of the bed and was also frowning at Rose, absently rubbing Harry's leg.

"What happened?" Harry asked, directing the question more at Remus. But it was Rose again who answered.

"He kidnapped Fleur's sister and her Dad is really angry" she said succinctly. At Harry's wide eyes Rose went on. "Uncle Padfoot had to go and make sure no-one started throwing hexes. They didn't ask parents' permission for the other hostages either."

"Rosalyn Agatha that's enough" Lily said firmly.

That reminded Harry of a very important point he had yet to bring up with his parents. He narrowed his eyes at them. Rose sensed his rising irritation and sighed, pulling her hair over her shoulder, studying the ends as if they were the most fascinating things she had ever seen.

"So did Professor Dumbledore ask 'permission' to use Rose as a hostage?" he asked casually.

"Dumbledore asked for permission for everyone Harry" James's voice was curt. "All of the girls were asked if they would like to be part of the Second Task and they agreed."

"Were 'told' to take part" Rose muttered, still scrutinising her hair.

"Well he must have missed one since Fleur's dad isn't happy" Harry said sweetly.

"She was what Fleur would miss most" Lily said gently, a small smile on her face as she smiled at her two children. "And Rosie was what you would miss most Harry." She squeezed his leg, a proud smile on her face.

_Well it wouldn't bloody well be Nathan would it,_ he thought to himself. "Of course she is. But why was she my hostage? She shouldn't be anywhere near Hogwarts yet." He succeeded in folding his arms and quirked an eyebrow at his parents.

Remus shifted uncomfortably, clearly aware of the tension in the air. Rose resolutely ignored them.

James's jaw twitched and his eyes sharpened. Lily winced and looked away.

"Rose was given a blocking potion early this morning" James said acidly.

"Was she now?" Harry's eyes were narrowing, he was getting angry now. "Even though Healer Vance said that she couldn't use that too much otherwise she'll hurt herself?"

"You're not exactly in a position to point fingers Harry James" his father retorted. "We'll be having words about that later."

"James" Lily implored, looking between the two Potter men with alarm. Remus looked wary, half rising from his seat.

"So you agreed to let Rose come here and go underwater for a stupid competition that people have _died in_ just because Professor Dumbledore said it was safe?" Harry said coolly.

Remus cringed and Lily cried "Harry!" as his father paled with fury.

"Harry James Potter" his father's voice was deadly calm and would have put the fear of Merlin in hardened criminals. "If you ever speak to me like that again I will ground you until you turn seventeen. I will not tolerate you disrespecting myself, your mother or your Headmaster."

Harry narrowed his eyes at his father, but said nothing. The tension was stifling.

"Furthermore" James said icily. "If you _ever_ imply that I put _any_ of my children in danger again you'll be sorry you were ever born. I made sure that everything was safe before even agreeing to let Rose take part."

"_Safe!_?" Harry burst, incredulous. This was going too far, but Harry didn't care. Harry didn't get angry often but he had inherited his mother's legendary temper. When he got riled, there was no stopping him. His mother was at this minute shaking her head quickly at him but it was too late. "The Black Lake is _safe_? Getting told that our hostages wouldn't come back if we didn't get to them in time is alright? FLEUR DELACOUR NEARLY _DIED_ TRYING TO GET TO HER SISTER!" He roared, completely forgetting where he was.

The glass of water on the bedside table exploded. Harry doubled over in pain as the bed, the table and the chair Moony had been sitting on a second ago started shaking violently.

"Harry!" Rose cried, grabbing his arm as the shakings continued. He vaguely heard running footsteps.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey demanded returning to the bed and forcing Harry to lie back on the bed. Harry struggled to breathe through the pain. He had to stop his magic before something serious happened.

"Everybody out! NOW!" Pomfrey shouted, pulling her wand out. Rose didn't move, instead gripping her brother's arm, trying to calm the sudden maelstrom of emotions that were driving his magic wild. At the moment they were the worry. If Harry didn't calm down he would hurt himself and those around him.

Pomfrey forced a potion vial to Harry's lips and Harry choked on the liquid as it was poured down his throat. As quickly as it had started, his magic ceased its ministrations and the rattling ceased as his anger and panic drained away like water. Harry slumped against the mattress, spent. He breathed in and out, closing his eyes.

"How are you feeling Potter?" Pomfrey asked, once she was sure it was over.

Harry wearily opened his eyes. "Like-like hell" he rasped.

"This was the kind of thing I was afraid of" Pomfrey sighed at her readings, shaking her head. Accidental magic was not what she'd had in mind when she warned the boy to be careful. That sort of thing was more common in children his sister's age, not Harry's, though not unheard of.

"Would you care to explain what had you so angry that you've exhausted what little magic you regained Potter?" she asked crisply.

"He and dad had a fight" Rose said quietly.

Madam Pomfrey's lips thinned. If James Potter had jeopardised his son's recovery….muttering under her breath, she addressed the Potter children. "The Calming Draught should help you get some sleep Potter. I expect you to stay here and sleep, with no interruptions." She stared at his sister. "And you young lady are not to disturb him or I'll have you removed, understood?"

"Yes Madam Pomfrey" Rose said solemnly.

"Get some rest Potter" Pomfrey left the two, casting a Silencing Charm over the privacy curtain. She intended to have a _few words_ with their father.

"I think Dad's in trouble" Rose whispered to her exhausted brother.

"So am I" Harry muttered back. Regret was stopping exhaustion; its sharp talons hauling him up from the waiting darkness. "I'm sorry for that."

Rose knew what he was talking about.

"Blocking potion" she reminded him. "Most of the stuff is getting blocked, except when people are really close. And even then, it's nothing to what it usually is." She sighed and curled up next to her big brother. "Nice going by the way. I think you're grounded until you're thirty."

"Eh s'alright" Harry yawned. "Nev'd bust me out."

Rose giggled. "Hermione would make the escape plan. And Luna would take care of Dad."

"Exacly" Harry slurred, sleep rolling over him like a herd of hippogriffs. He closed his eyes, listening to Rose's laughter and was asleep in seconds.

XX

Second chapter. Really hard to write. Nothing really noteworthy saves for familial interaction. More of that to come along with Nathan Potter-the BWL. Supposedly.

There was a brief introduction to the Potter history. I'll do more of that later in some flashbacks that'll also talk about other issues.

More of Fleur and her family hopefully in the next chapter. I really like her family.

Lily and James? I'm not planning on making their characters evil and hurtful and abusive and all that junk. They're not going to win any parental awards, but they're not going to be unredeemable. Nathan-you'll have to wait and see.

Anyway new chapter, more reviews? Please?


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you for coming so soon" Mademoiselle Laurent said to Healer Abigail Ramoné as she stepped gracefully from the fireplace in the Healers office carriage.

"It is the least I could do when I heard the news" the other woman shook her head. Though older than Aimée, Abigail was Veela and looked around the same age if not younger. She was a beautiful blonde and blue eyed, typical of Veela and her skin shone like moonlight. She was gorgeous and Laurent could only sigh ruefully at her glamorous counterpart. Veela could make even the most beautiful woman insecure about their looks.

"I was horrified to hear about these so called tasks of this ridiculous competition" Ramoné set down her bag and coat, sounding utterly disgusted. She shook her head. "A nesting dragon and retrieving hostages in a lake? What are these fools thinking?"

"I think you're giving them too much credit. I do not think they're capable of such a difficult concept" Laurent snarked, enjoying the easy conversation. Due to them staying in Scotland, the Headmistress had encouraged her pupils and staff to converse in English as much as possible. Thankfully, Laurent was still able to talk to her patients in their native tongue but even so, there were only so much students could engage in in conversation.

"Too true" Abigail agreed. "They are fortunate Apolline could not be here. From what she told me she has not had a full transformation like that in years. She was still feathered when I dropped in to her before coming here."

Laurent winced. Fleur had never managed a full transformation at Beauxbatons but she had had several unfortunate incidents where several tormentors had ended up with charred clothing when they pushed her too hard. Thankfully most had gotten the message and there had been no incidents in years. But to achieve a full transformation required some deep emotion, usually anger. Laurent couldn't help the tiny flicker of regret that Apolline Delacour couldn't have been here earlier to face the organisers.

"So how is our patient?" Abigail got down to business.

"Exhausted" Laurent said instantly. "She had a terrible time in that wretched task."

"The Goddess knows Veela and water not a good mix under any circumstances" Ramoné shook her head.

"Too true" Laurent sighed. "Fleur did not have an easy time. She told me her magic and her senses were weaker than on land."

"That's quite common in Veela who have been submerged in deep water" the older woman nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes well she was also extremely worried for her sister which didn't help matters at all" Laurent growled softly; Fleur loved her sister dearly. That task had been cruel to all involved. "She was attacked by a horde of Grindylows that succeeded in making her losing consciousness. Had a passing Champion not intervened it's likely she would have died."

Abigail's eyes bulged at that and her hand flew to her chest in reaction. Goddess preserve them. Fury made her hands clench. She had been the Delacour family Healer for over twenty years and had known Fleur since she was a baby. To hear that she had almost died because of the poor organisation of this event made her furious.

"How is she?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"She's resting now in my examination room" Laurent tilted her head towards the door. "As I said, she's exhausted and I let her sleep there while I called you."

"Why did you call me?" Abigail studied the younger woman. Though she lacked her age and experience, she was a talented Healer in her own right.

"I did a cursory scan of Fleur's magic to see if it were recovering and I noticed something strange. I don't know how to explain it or what it is, but I believe it's to do with Veela magic specifically."

"Unusual how?" Abigail Ramoné asked. An undercurrent of unease lurked in her mind.

"I have the scan here" Laurent had put the scan to parchment before making the Floo call. She handed it to the other woman and when she actually studied it, was treated to the sight of the Veela losing all of the colour in her face.

"It can't be" she gasped, looking shaken. "Impossible."

"Healer Ramoné?" she asked cautiously, reverting to formality.

"I need to perform more tests" the Veela Healer said, slapping the parchment onto the table. She composed herself, but couldn't hide the worry in her eyes. "There are certain scans that could shed better light on this."

"What is this?" Laurent felt the stirrings of true unease flutter in her belly.

Ramoné smiled sadly and shook her head before moving towards the closed door to where Fleur was sleeping. An almost prophetic sense of worry settled on her shoulders as Laurent followed the other woman.

XX

Harry's eyes snapped open. It was dark and quiet around him, soft illumination coming from beyond his privacy curtain in the Hospital Wing. He was momentarily confused about his abrupt return to consciousness; his body still hurt and his magic still weak but they were not the cause of his wakefulness. His instincts were stirring and he reached over to where his wand was, thankful Madam Pomfrey hadn't confiscated it.

Then he heard it, soft and heart wrenchingly familiar sniffles that made him realise Rose was no longer beside him. Harry scrambled out of the bed towards the source of the noise, cursing his weak and wobbly muscles that nearly sent him flat onto the floor in protest.

His knees nearly buckled when he managed to get himself standing for entirely different reasons seconds later. His little sister was huddled beside the table, her knees drawn up to her chest, her face buried against them while her hands were gripping her hair with enough force to rip chunks out of her scalp. She was whimpering and rocked back and forth, hitting her head against the wall as she moved and was clearly oblivious to the world around her.

Harry stifled the pain and fury and helplessness he felt ruthlessly. Rose was in enough pain as it was. Closing his eyes briefly, he let his Occulmency dampen his emotions. They wouldn't go away but it would be harder for Rose's empathy to pick up.

He stepped forward, only to freeze when Rose whimpered and curled up even tighter. Damn it this was worse than he'd thought. Rose hadn't had an attack this bad in nearly a year. He would bet his trust vault that that forsaken blocking potion had made things worse. He knew Rose wasn't ready to be anywhere near Hogwarts yet.

"Rosie" he called softly. He had to get her attention on him and not the feelings that were overpowering her. Rose didn't answer, so he chanced a step forward and called her name again.

"Hu-hu-Harry?" Rose's voice was cracked and she sounded very young and disorientated. Pushing down the flash of pain, Harry crouched down, ignoring his cramping muscles.

"Hey little sister" he said gently, letting his affection and some comfort emanate from his shields a little. It had taken a long time to master and manipulate his Occulmency shields but it was necessary when around Rose. Their whole family was proficient at the skill.

"H-hurts" she gasped out, watery blue eyes peering up from her knees. The sight almost made him crumble, but he held firm.

"I know it hurts Rosie, but if you're not careful you'll pull your hair out" Harry said soothingly. He caught one of her hands, ignoring the flinch and how she tried to pull away. Harry lightly rubbed her hand, drawing circles with his thumb, humming softly. Carefully, he caught her other hand too after tucking his wand behind his ear. This time Rose's reaction wasn't as severe. Humming the lines of the Bon Jovi song 'Livin' on a Prayer', he waited as slowly, Rose's death grip on her hair eased and she latched onto his hands with surprising strength.

"That's it Rosie you're doing great" Harry encouraged.

Teary blue eyes stared up at him desperately. He tugged his sister towards him and she flung herself at him, wrapping around him like a limpet.

Harry spat out a bit of her hair that had gotten in his mouth. Rose had wrapped her arms and legs around him, her face buried in his neck. She was shaking, a low keening coming out of her mouth, her breath in harsh pants, almost hyperventilating.

He'd acted too soon. He had to get Madam Pomfrey's attention, as well as alert his parents'. With Rose so clingy and fragile right now, it would be impossible to get to them. Shouting would only frighten Rose more.

He grimaced, sending out soothing emotions reflexively. He took hold of his wand again. Pomfrey was going to kill him; his magic wasn't anywhere near within normal levels and this wasn't exactly a first year spell. Still desperate times and all that…

Closing his eyes, Harry reached out with his consciousness; dropping every and all barriers he had, opening himself completely. He felt the power of the world around him; the air dancing along his skin, the stone floor under them tied to the earth. He called to that power letting it fill him with strength.

He opened his eyes and brought his wand down_. "Expecto Patronum!"_

A huge silver Grim like dog burst out of his wand, almost dazzling his eyes with its brightness. The intelligent guardian landed on the ground, ears pricked and alert, looking at its master for his command.

"Get Mum, Dad and Madam Pomfrey and tell them Rose is in trouble. Go" he ordered and the Grim bobbed its head before bounding out of the curtain and disappearing from sight.

Eyes straining from the change in brightness in so many seconds, Harry twisted his head up. The old fashioned lantern on the bedside table ignited instantly, brightening the area immediately. Sighing, Harry pulled himself back and turned to his biggest concern Rose, whose breathing was getting worse. He rubbed circles on her back, humming softly.

"Hey come on Rosie sing along with me ok?" Harry said softly before starting in a low voice

"_Take me down to Paradise City were the grass is green and the girls are pretty" _he sang_. "Oh won't you please take me home?"_

This was the scene his parents and Pomfrey came to, Harry sitting on the floor, Rose in his lap singing Guns N' Roses Paradise City together. Rose's voice was thin and weak to her brother's but the fact she was able to focus enough on the song was a good sign. Focusing on singing made her concentrate and it also got her breathing in order. When she had been younger it had been nursery rhymes they had sang but when she hit six Rose decided they were stupid. Music in the Wizarding World was nowhere near as good as Muggle music as far as she and her brother and mother were concerned so whenever she had no control over her power, eighties Muggle music were sung to help her focus.

"Potter what" Pomfrey's irate voice made Rose cringe and moan, her limbs tightening around Harry.

"Rosie" Lily gasped, already moving towards her children only to back away when Rose cried out and tightened her grip on her brother even more, which was doing worrying things for his breathing.

"Alright everyone back up" Harry heard his Uncle Moony order and he sighed in relief at having someone level headed with them.

"Come on Rosie how about some Bryan Adams?" Harry suggested and started singing

"_Got my first real six string, bought it at the five and dime_" Harry sang ignoring the adults for the moment, rocking back and forth.

"_P-played it 'til my…fingers-bled_" Rose gasped, sides heaving.

"_Was the summer of '69_" the two Potters sang together.

"We need to get her to Emmeline" Harry heard his father order. It was the first thing the two Potter men agreed on all day.

"Yes of course" a deep voice agreed. Dumbledore. Harry's lips curled but he disregarded his less than amiable feelings for his Headmaster at the moment and focussed on Rose.

"_Me and some guys from school_" Harry kept going encouraging Rose to keep singing while the adults got their marching orders. Pomfrey moved closer to them, only to freeze when Rose's breathing hitched and Harry sent her a glare that would melt concrete. Keeping a careful distance she did her diagnostic charms. Looking over his shoulder Harry could see his dad had disappeared, Moony and Dumbledore were keeping a good distance back. Lily however had begun to creep closer, ignoring Harry's warning look and Rose's cringe, carefully controlling her emotions. She sat down next to them carefully smoothing out her daughter's tangled hair, singing along with Harry as Rose relaxed minutely.

"I Floo called Emmeline, she's waiting for us now" James reappeared.

"Come on Rosebud" Lily said softly, moving to wrap her arms around her youngest. Rose tightened her grip again, causing Harry to wince.

"Rosie we're going to see Emmeline" James said softly, crouching slightly to their level. Rose just clung tighter.

"Come on sweetie" Lily cooed softly, trying to gently tug her away but it was futile.

"Don't go" Rose begged, her voice drenched in tears. She buried her face into her brother's neck, hiding herself from the others.

Harry met his father's eyes over Rose's. His father hesitated then nodded at him.

"Can you get up?" James asked him.

Harry grimaced and nodded. Keeping a firm grip on his sister, he pushed himself upright, Rose wrapped around his chest and waist. His father helped him up gripping his arms. Rose moaned and Harry wavered, gritting his teeth and forcefully suppressing his pain under his shields. Once his legs felt steady, Harry started to move past the others. His father kept close while Lily scrambled to her feet to follow.

"Harry is going to go with us is that alright Albus?" James asked the Headmaster.

"Of course James" Albus said, inclining his head. Harry kept a firm grip on his Occulmency and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Madam Pomfrey spluttered. "James Potter! Your son is recovering from magical exhaustion he cannot-"

Rose let out a keening wail, her body shaking. Harry cursed and strode over to where the fireplace was, his parents hurrying after him. He heard his father assure Poppy he would be looked after at the Healers as he searched for the Floo powder. His eyes locked onto the powder pot sitting on the mantelpiece and it leapt towards his hand still holding his wand. He tossed some of it hazardously at the fireplace and as the flames roared green, he stepped forward, still carrying his sister and shouted "St Moons Facility, Healer Vance's office!" and was gone in a flash of flames.

XX

Harry sighed and let himself lie back against the mattress. His limbs felt like water and ached every time he moved and his head felt like a Niffler had been let loose in his skull. He wanted to sleep desperately.

A gentle hand shook him, stopping him from falling asleep. Opening his eyes, he met Emmeline Vance's sympathetic eyes.

"Can't let you sleep here Harry sorry. Come on."

Groaning softly, Harry was given a hand up to help haul himself to his feet. Hissing he swayed slightly as he got to his feet. Emmeline kept close, guiding the tired and reluctant teenager from the room where his sister was now sleeping peacefully.

"Is Rose going to be ok?" he asked tiredly.

"Yes she will, aside from an awful headache when she wakes up most likely" Emmeline said quietly, squeezing Harry's shoulder when he sighed.

"As much as we all hate to see Rose go through this Harry, she does need to learn to control her empathy. And the only way she can do that is if she goes out and experiences crowds."

"She shouldn't have been at Hogwarts yet" Harry muttered rebelliously. Loath though he was to admit it, there was truth in Emmeline's words. He just hated seeing his sister curled up in pain and not able to do anything about it.

"It is a little early for that" Emmeline said as neutrally as possibly. Meaning she wasn't happy about it either. "But it's over and done with now. And Rose should improve again when she recovers."

Harry sighed. Magic was like a muscle, it had to be exercised regularly to keep it fit. Pushing it meant your overall performance improved, but it could also damage the muscle if you went too far.

"The blocking potion, did it do any damage?"

"No it didn't, though it wore off faster than your parents' expected, which is why Rose was overwhelmed earlier" she absently kept a hand on his shoulder as they made their way through the empty corridor with the ease of one who had been through it regularly. "She won't be using it for a long time again if I have any say. I find that many empaths become addicted to the potion if they use it regularly."

"Not happening" Harry agreed as they reached Emmeline's office door.

Both of his parents were in the office, having been denied entry to Rose's room while she recovered whereas Harry had had no say in the arrangement at all and went along for the ride. James was wearing the carpet with his pacing while Lily was sitting on the couch gnawing her thumb nail. The second they entered Lily leapt to her feet and James spun around.

"Rose is fine now" Emmeline announced as she and Harry came into her office and she shut the door again. Lily sagged with relief and pulled Harry towards the couch, worrying over him while James sighed deeply.

Harry sagged against the couch as Emmeline gave his parents a more detailed description and looked around her office. It hadn't changed much since the last time he had been here. The walls were a warm yellow with several landscape portraits and diploma's framed on the wall. Her desk was beside the door leaving room for the large and comfy couch, a crackling fireplace, two chairs in front of the desk, and a small play area for younger children complete with a miniature table and toys. The large clock on the wall showed it was 9.47 in the evening. Twelve hours ago he had been the Hogwarts Lake. It had been a very long day.

Harry spied a framed photo of his uncle Padfoot on the desk along photos of Emmeline's family and stifled a grin, wondering when his godfather would 'get together that Gryffindor courage and ask her to bloody marry him already' borrowing from his Uncle Moony.

St Moons Facility for Children's Care was, naturally enough a children's hospital with close ties to St Mungo's. It specialised in everything from vaccines to physical or mental illness in children. In Rose's case, it had contacts worldwide for abilities such as empathy and natural Legilimency-or telepathy as it was called in the US-as well as rooms shielded to stop them from sensing everything around them.

A cup of steaming tea was shoved under his nose and he blinked. He hadn't realised they had finished talking.

"Tea for aching muscles and joints" Emmeline announced pressing the cup into his hands. "I keep some handy for Remus whenever he drops by after a full moon."

"Thanks" Harry sipped the tea, savouring the different flavours present.

"So Rose will be alright then?" Lily said anxiously, seeking confirmation.

"Yes she will" Emmeline nodded. She looked like she wanted to say more, but she glanced at Harry and changed the topic abruptly. "I meant to say earlier congratulations Harry."

Harry blinked at her. "Huh?"

"The TriWizard Tournament?" she said slowly.

"What about it?" he said in the same tone of voice.

"You're in the lead!"

"I am?" nonplussed Harry looked between his parents.

"That's right honey" Lily patted his knee. "I completely forgot. You got full marks for the second task, although Karkaroff tried to deduct points since you didn't bring Rosie back to shore." Lily's eyes darkened. "It slipped my mind after everything that happened." She squeezed his knee again before pulling him towards her and resting his head on her shoulder, wrapping an arm around him.

"The evening _Prophet_ ran the story" Emmeline glanced at her desk, choosing to sit on one of the chairs closer to the couch. James remained standing, his eyes far away. "You're in first place, followed by Cedric Diggory Victor Krum and the Beauxbatons Champion"

"Fleur" Harry corrected.

"Delacour that's right" Emmeline nodded. "I heard you rescued her is that right?"

Harry grimaced and shook his head. "She got attacked by a bunch of Grindylows. I was just passing by, anyone would have helped."

Emmeline and Lily shared a smile as Lily gave him a cuddle. James gave his son a faint grin and shook his head, leaning against the wall.

"You are so modest Harrybear" Lily cooed. "I'm so glad you don't take after your father."

"Hey" James complained while Harry groaned "_Mum!_" in protest. The two witches chuckled at the men and smiled conspiringly at each other. Harry just shut his eyes, exasperated at his mother. That was a bit of a mistake as he could feel his tiredness begin to catch up with him again.

"Now that I'm here" he heard Emmeline say quietly and felt a tingle cross his skin. He cracked an eye open to see Emmeline waving her wand over him.

"Hmm Poppy was right your magic is recovering nicely" Emmeline patted his shoulder. "Now don't go draining yourself again. I'd rather I didn't see you as a patient here."

Harry snorted. "Sure Auntie Em."

'Auntie Em' swatted him, looking a little flustered. Rose had coined the term a couple of years ago and they all called her that, to her and Sirius's chagrin. James and Remus thought it was hysterical.

There was an audible noise-beep, beep, _beep_-that was all too familiar. Harry closed his eyes.

"Ah s-damn it" he heard his father mumble and without looking he knew his father was fumbling for his Auror badge the source of the noise. He felt a slight vibration against his side as his mother sighed almost inaudibly as the beeping continued incessantly before finally ceasing. Harry was relieved at that his head was feeling quite tender by this stage and he was expecting a headache any minute.

"Aw hell" his father cursed empathetically. "There's an emergency, I have to go."

What a surprise.

"Alright James. I'll stay here with Rose." He felt his mother move. "And it's time to go back to Hogwarts I think Harrybear."

Wait what?

Forcing his eyes open Harry pushed himself forward. "Hang on I"

The rest of his words were lost as he half rose from his seat and experienced vertigo. Harry nearly fell back onto the couch if his mother and Emmeline hadn't grabbed his arms.

"Guess the adrenaline rush just faded there kiddo" Emmeline helped ease the boy back against the couch and studied his pale face.

"Definitely going back so Poppy can have a look at you" his mother said sternly, glancing over her shoulder. "James can you Floo him back and make sure he gets there all right?"

"'M fine" Harry started.

"You're exhausted and have had a really long day" Emmeline supplied. "You need some sleep."

Harry still wanted to argue but his father had just then come over and scooped him up bridal style. He had a few choice words to say about that if his dizzy spell hadn't just gotten worse and his very empty stomach hadn't started performing Olympic back flips. He groaned and pressed his face against his father's shoulder, feeling like crap.

"Is he alright?" he heard his mother say anxiously as his eyelids grew heavier. Emmeline may have answered but he fell asleep before he heard the reply.

XXX

Jean Claude Delacour bade the Headmistress Maxime a curt goodnight before making his way to his temporary quarters on board the Beauxbatons carriages, an almost visible aura daring someone to stop him. He shut the doors, resisting the urge to slam it, though it would have been incredibly satisfying. Venting at Olympe would be equally satisfying however it would serve no purpose despite the anger he was itching to unleash.

"Bad day my friend?"

Jean Claude raised an eyebrow at the presence of Abigail Ramoné sitting in an office chair waiting for him, tired and pale but smiling gently.

"Hello Abby" Jean chuckled tiredly, allowing his mask to melt away and rubbed his eyes. "Did Apolline send you to watch my blood pressure or to make sure I didn't hurt myself when I killed the English who organised this so called event?"

Abby smiled slightly and got up to hug him. "That bad?"

"Worse" Jean sighed to the depths of his soul and gratefully took the offered comfort. "Those bastards are going to get scot free without as much as a word of warning. It's disgraceful" his lips curled in disgust, weariness battling seething anger.

"How is Gabrielle?"

"Shaken but in good spirits" Jean felt a smile tug his lips upwards despite himself. "She wouldn't stop talking about the Champion that rescued her. I think my youngest has a little crush on Fleur's competition."

"He's the one who rescued Fleur yes?" Abigail said softly.

"Yes" Jean stepped back running a hand through his hair and sighing deeply. "I owe that boy dearly. I shall have to owl their parents to express my gratitude and hopefully thank the boy in person. We'll have to see how they'll respond to the Life Debt. I owe one for Fleur and possibly Gabrielle as well."

Abby's eyes dropped to the carpet.

"Jean-I need to talk to you about that."

"Hmm?" Jean blinked at her. Being around her had dropped his façade and now tiredness was making him a little slow.

"Apolline didn't send me" Abigail admitted, avoiding his eyes. "Healer Laurent Floo called me."

Jean tensed; fear running through him like a flash of ice. "Fleur"

"Is fine" Abby assured him. Her smiled faded. "But we need to talk."

Worried Jean reluctantly sat down in one of the chairs in the office Olympe had graciously offered him, connected to two bedrooms, one for Gabrielle and himself. Gabrielle had reluctantly gone to bed, none the worse for wear from today's events. Abigail sat down across from him, tucking her legs together neatly, her hands folded in her lap. Jean's practised eyes picked up tell-tale signs of anxiousness and nervousness. This did not reassure him.

Abby took a deep breath and met his eyes. There was worry and sadness in her sky blue eyes as well as a silent apology. She took a deep breath and then released it.

"Laurent and I have already spoken to Fleur with this and I promised to tell you before she came in." she took another breath, fortifying herself and leaned forward.

"What do you know about Life Debts and Veela who acquire them?"

Jean blinked, nonplussed. A bad feeling was growing in his gut.

"I have never heard of Veela behaving to Life Debts any differently to the rest of us" Jean said cautiously, not liking where this was headed. "Should I have?"

Abigail sighed and crossed her ankles, clasping her hands together, silently cursing. This would be so much easier to explain if the Delacours were aware of the repercussions of such an event.

Then again if they did maybe this would not have happened in the first place….

"This is not common knowledge" Abigail sighed. "Veela are told at a suitable age by their Matriarch but very few outside the Veela know of this. I spoke to Fleur and she had no idea of what I was talking about."

"Abby for the love of the Goddess what's going on?" Jean demanded in a harsh voice, taking care not to shout and wake Gabby.

"Just listen please?" Abby begged and Jean sat back. Relieved she closed her eyes and wondered how she was supposed to explain this to her old friend.

"I'm not sure why you or your daughter doesn't know this and I don't know if Apolline does either. As you already know Veela are creatures of magic with strong ties to the elements fire and air. It is simply impossible for us to survive without magic; unlike some witches and wizards that have had their magic bound or stripped, Veela cannot live without their magic.

"It has been a source of confusion and contention among Veela for millennia but our race as a whole has a profound flaw that can affect us in only very specific circumstances." She took a deep breath and briefly met Jean's increasingly worried eyes.

"This flaw" she continued "seems to occur only in conjunction with a Life Debt. It's extremely rare and very few cases have ever been recorded.

"In a Life Debt, a person saves another in an act of selfless courage, saving someone without any ulterior motives or agendas. Just the desire to protect another life from certain death. When a witch or wizard saves another witch or wizard, magic links the two together, binds them somewhat. The one who owes the debt is magic bound to give their saviour anything-money, belongings, promises their life-to them. Magic will force them to comply to their saviour's wishes.

"In Veela however, things are different." She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly.

"When a Veela is saved by someone-someone who saved her life when she would have died without intervention, when that person risked their own life to save her without any sort of ill intentions or expectations, the bond that forms between them is different to others. In this case the initial magic drain used to link the rescued to their saviour doesn't fade in Veela. Their magic links to the holder of the Life Debt's magical core and transfers to it. Over time" she closed her eyes, unable to look at Jean Claude "the Veela's magic siphons itself to the other's magical core until she no longer has any magic left. And when that happens…" she trailed off.

Silence. Abigail had never heard such complete deafening silence in her life. Steeling her nerves, Abby opened her eyes and looked at Jean. Her heart clenched at the ashen face. He was striving to maintain that famous composure he possessed in the political arena. He was a charming and charismatic politician with a backbone of steel when things had to be done. Those who knew the real him knew him to be a cheerful and genial man, happy with his lot in life. Abby had never seen him so shaken before and wished she did not have to see it now.

But Jean had been in politics too long to fall to pieces just yet. "And has Fleur got this-flaw?"

Abby nodded slowly defeated. "There are signs a Veela Healer can detect. We are trained in all areas of Veela heritage and physiology, no matter how rare and obscure."

"You are sure?" Jean said sharply, eyes shrewd and sharp, looking for weakness. "How common is this? Is it possibly something else? I've never heard of such a thing before."

"As I have said it's not commonplace" Abby grimaced. "And its characteristics are unmistakable. I've done a series of tests hoping I was wrong. I couldn't find anything."

"WHY is this so secret!" Jean exploded, losing his temper. After everything that had happened today, this was the straw that broke the hippogriffs back. After everything he was going to lose Fleur permanently? He got to his feet, glaring at the woman murderously, not caring that she was only the messenger. "My God Abby! A flaw indeed! Something so serious and you keep it quiet?"

"For Goddess's sake Jean Claude think!" Abby got to her feet refusing to let him intimidate her. "What do you think would happen if it became common knowledge of such a fact? You KNOW Veela history. Our ancestors treated nothing more than sex slaves, hunted to near extinction, girls Gabrielle's age bought and sold like property. What do you think would have happened if witches and wizards learned that a Life Debt owed to them would result in extra magic? We would have died out centuries ago with people trying to get the circumstances just right for doubling their magical core!

"All Veela are told by their Matriarch about the dangers when they are at a suitable age to understand the dangers. Fleur should have been told years ago and even if she had the situation has to be so exact that it's almost impossible to achieve a Magic Debt." She breathed in and out, her nostrils flaring and her hands curled into fists trembling.

Jean's anger seeped away and he slumped back into him seat, looking so old suddenly that all of Abby's indignation faded and she sat down again.

"I'm sorry" Jean said quietly, looking at his knees before raising his eyes to look at Abby. His eyes were so full of anguish that made Abby ache. "You're right of course I just"

"Hush" Abby leaned forward and grabbed his hands in hers, fighting the urge to pull him into an enormous hug.

"What can I do?" Jean whispered, clutching her hands, looking at her intensely, eyes burning. "If Fleur fulfils the Life Debt-if he asks for something and she gives it or if she saves his life-"

"The drain won't allow the Debt to be absolved with just a request" Abby whispered regretfully. "It's been tried and tested over the years and it never stopped the magic transfer. It would be possible for Fleur to cancel the debt by saving the boy's life but there's simply not enough time. Magic won't allow for controlled events to affect its will, intent is the key. It would have to be in the same kind of circumstances-saving him from certain death without a thought to her own safety, not an organised occurrence. Those types of situations don't happen on a regular basis Jean."

Jean closed his eyes, unable to bear the thoughts running through his head.

"How long?" he whispered.

Abby answered slowly. "If nothing is done…six to seven weeks maybe more or less."

Jean's hands tightened convulsively, feeling as though he had been punched in the gut. Tears clouded his eyes and he closed them, taking a ragged breath.

Weeks. _Weeks_…..

"Wait" his eyes snapped open, clinging to a sudden hope like a child holding a kite string in a gale force storm. "'If nothing's done'. Can we actually do something?"

Abby sighed heavily. There was something as desperate and tricky as it was.

"A way to stop this kind of transfer is if the boy were to give some of his own magic to Fleur…permanently."

Jean blinked at that, his mind trying to work that out, straining under all of the pressure he had been under today. "How so?"

Abby sighed. "In today's world, they only way to do so would be…in a bonding ritual" she said reluctantly, watching poor Jean's slack jawed expression. There were politicians and diplomats who would pay good money to witness the normally smooth and suave Jean Claude Delacour so speechless. She chided herself for her wandering thoughts and focussed her attention again as her friend fought to pick his jaw off his knees.

"You are joking" Jean said blankly, trying to get his mind in gear and kept getting back 'error' messages. His mind simply refused to comprehend what he had just heard. "You have to kidding."

"I'm not" Abby said patiently, almost wishing she was comforting Fleur instead of dealing with Jean. "In the olden days another way was a slave bond or taking the Veela as a concubine." Her eyes darkened momentarily. "The only legal and approved method nowadays would be a bonding. Think Jean, Fleur's magic is at this moment giving itself to the Potter boy. If the boy was to willingly give his magic back to Fleur, her core and his would stabilise and merge. In this way the Life Debt would be satisfied."

Jean just stared at the woman he had been friends with for over twenty years trying to process what she was telling him. "You're seriously telling me the only way to save my daughter is if the boy who saved her life will sacrifice his future and marry a girl he barely knows to satisfy a Veela Life Debt?"

"Yes" she said simply because in reality that was the only option available to them at this point.

"_Mon Dieu_" he whispered slowly in complete and utter disbelief staring at the wall behind her. "This is insane."

"I know" Abby said regretfully, running a hand through her hair.

Jean barked out a humourless laugh. "When you said Veela had a serious flaw you weren't talking about allure or something straightforward. This" he broke off, shaking his head and getting to his feet to pace.

"I know" Abby admitted. "It is as I said, extremely rare that even today it's treated more as a legend than fact. The last reported case we know of was in 1896 when a wizard rescued a Veela from slave traders. It is extraordinarily unheard of because it happens in the rarest occasions. We can only guess that it must happen in extreme circumstances even in a Life Debt situation. We simply don't know enough about the phenomena. As for why it happens, it has baffled the Veela community and researchers for centuries. Some believe it's the Goddesses way of thanking those who look beyond our beauty for saving her people. Other silly romantics think the Goddess wanted us to be bonded to good kind men and those can be quite hard to find so she made it so that we could bond with one if we had to" she said at an attempt at humour that fell flat.

Jean stopped as a sudden thought nearly made him pass out. He wheeled to face Abby who jumped at his sudden movement.

"Gabrielle" he said quickly praying he was mistaken. "She's not-she isn't"

"She wasn't in the same circumstances" Abby's heart had plunged as she grasped what Jean Claude was getting at, but her mind swiftly analysed the idea and rejected it. "Whatever those idiots thought they were doing, she was not in any real danger. The most there I think, is as you said, a crush on the brave hero that rescued her" she joked and was rewarded by the tension easing in her friend's frame and an almost smile. It faded however and his shoulders sagged as he stared up at the carriage ceiling.

"It's the only way to save Fleur?" he whispered softly but Abby heard him.

"It's the only thing that can work" Abby said quietly. And what a solution it was. It was cruel to expect a teenage boy to make such a decision with the fate of Fleur's life in the balance in such a short period of time. And even if he did make the right choice and save Fleur they would be married, permanently to basically complete strangers. The situation was a mess and there was so much that could go wrong. Sighing she sent a silent spell to Laurent, a prearranged signal letting them know she had spoken to Jean.

The door to the office opened and a pale faced and tear streaked Fleur peered fearfully into the room before being engulfed in a tight hug by her father pulling her to him. Looking uncomfortably out of place Mademoiselle Laurent hovered indecisively for a moment before starting to back out of the office. Abby met her eyes and nodded, rising from her seat and following the younger woman, leaving the Delacours to grieve and discuss things alone.

XXX

"Tell me what you know about Harry Potter darling" carefully handing his daughter a cup of tea Jean sat down across from his daughter.

Fleur stirred her tea automatically her brain aching dully in her skull. Weariness coupled with stiff muscles and a migraine born from crying made her feel like hell warmed over. Her thoughts were like angry hornets whizzing around her cranium, bouncing off the bone and ricocheting back and forth making her whole head throb painfully. The recent revelation her aunt Abigail had shaken her to her core.

Her heart had turned cold with fear and the urge to scream had to be stifled with sheer force of will. Her skin felt clammy and she could almost feel her magic-bright familiar and warm-seeping from her like a water balloon with a puncture. How did someone confront the fact that they were going to die? Or that the only way she could be saved was all on the decision of a younger boy who had weeks to decide if he wanted to save her and live with her for the rest of their lives?

And her late _grand-tante_ had wondered why she had lost faith in the Goddess….

"I don't know him very well" she confessed still stirring her tea, something to be her hands busy. "He's Nathan Potter's twin brother and they're in the same House-Gryffindor. He's fairly quiet, keeps to himself and his friends, two girls and a boy. They seem very close."

She took a sip of her tea and relaxed a little at the familiar taste.

"I first saw him when his name came out of the Goblet and I wasn't very impressed" she admitted her cheeks turning pink. "I think I called him a little boy." Her father chuckled.

"He was very confused and upset that his name came out of the Goblet. He kept insisting he did not put his name in and eventually swore an oath on it." She sipped her tea again, remembering her surprise at the younger boy's actions that night. Oaths were not taken lightly in their world.

Her father looked thoughtful. "Anything else?"

"He and his brother don't seem to get along very well" Fleur had been surprised by that. She could not imagine siblings-twins even-to be so distant to each other. Gabrielle was near and very dear to her heart, someone who loved her for who she was and she had precious few of those. Perhaps other took siblings for granted.

"I heard a few days after Halloween that Harry and Nathan had a nasty fight. Some of the younger Gryffindors were saying Harry had gotten into the Tournament because he was jealous of his brother." She snorted. "As far as I know he and his brother threw hexes and were punished for it. And his brother made their whole House turn against him. They were very rude and cruel." Her lips thinned.

"The other students weren't very nice either. One boy from the snake house made badges saying Potter Stinks and gave them to other students to wear. And the teachers did nothing!" she had found that despicable and had felt somewhat indignant on the boy's behalf.

Jean Claude looked a little disgusted, shaking his head. "I have heard rumours about the decline in Hogwarts standards. I have always believed Beauxbatons to be the superior school, even if Hogwarts is one of the oldest in Europe. The pupils and teachers are blinded by prejudice."

Fleur nodded in agreement. Now that was something she had learned here. France was not without its own problems or prejudice but it was not as rampant or as _blatant_ as it was in Hogwarts. It was not impressive for an institute which claimed to be the greatest in the world.

"Nathan Potter…" Jean muttered, stifling the urge to sigh. Her daughter's saviour was the brother of the Boy Who Lived. That was a sticky situation. "What do you think of the Boy Who Lived?"

Fleur's eyes narrowed in distaste.

"I find him to be a bullying brat" she said bluntly. "He is loud and arrogant and laughs at other people's misfortune. He is very popular in his school as far as I can tell. He plays Quidditch he's good looking, he's famous and he knows it. He likes to pull pranks on people and they aren't that funny. He spread nasty rumours about his brother when his name came out of the Goblet and he and his sidekick taunted and pranked him. He's nothing but a spoilt brat with delusions of grandeur that expects us all to worship the ground he walks on."

Jean's lips were twitching as he tried not to laugh. Clearly the famous Nathan Potter had rubbed his daughter the wrong way. What she said was probably not inaccurate; a child with such a celebrity status probably was used to getting his own way and that could lead to arrogance. "Did he bother you?"

"He tried to flirt with me" Fleur grimaced. "He was not very good at it. I think he was used to girls falling over him. He was better than his friend who always hung around him; he'd just stare at me drowning in his own drool. A week before the Yule Ball he shouted at me if I'd go to the dance with him and ran away before I could answer."

Jean snorted, trying not to laugh. "So-what do you think of his brother?"

Fleur sobered and considered the question.

"He's quieter than his brother. He's never stared at me or asked me rude questions. He's very clever; I've heard he and his friends' are top of their years. There's a lot of rumours about him being jealous of his brother and that he was a dark wizard and cheated the Goblet to let him enter the Tournament but I've never seen anything like that."

"A dark wizard? Where did that come from?" Jean raised his eyebrows.

"The First Task I think. Harry went near the dragon and seemed to talk to it and it let him collect the egg without attacking him. It was amazing but some of the Hogwarts students started spreading rumours that he was a Parselmouth and that he was dark because he could talk to snakes." Fleur rolled her eyes.

"Is he a Parselmouth?" Jean asked, looking surprised.

"I don't know" Fleur shrugged. "There is so much said about him you wouldn't know what's true or not. But a lot of people seem to believe it. That foul reporter has been writing a lot about how Harry is so jealous of his brother that he's turning to the dark arts and is desperate to make a name for himself."

"Rita Skeeter" Jean muttered disgustedly. "A vile woman. She shouldn't be allowed near people much less children. I wouldn't take anything you hear from her as truth Fleur."

Fleur nodded in agreement and cradled her half-finished cooling tea, staring into the dark liquid.

"I know very little about him Papa" she murmured softly. "We're strangers to each other and he saved me today and went to get Gabrielle for me when I couldn't. I think him to be very noble and honourable after what he did for me today. I…I think he would actually agree to the bonding if he had too."

Guilt burned in her throat and she drank her tea, trying to swallow the lump that had suddenly lodged there. She felt deep shame at the idea of pressuring the boy who had saved her into a marriage just to save her life. It was wrong, profoundly wrong to expect to sacrifice his future to save hers.

But she was human-no matter what anyone said-and she was human enough, selfish and scared enough to want him too. She didn't want to die and if she had to agree to marry a boy younger than her to stay alive, she would do it.

Her father's hands squeezed her hands before pulling her to him and cradling her against his chest. She felt him press a soft kiss into her hair and wished with a desperate longing that she was a child again; back when everything was simple, where her papa was the strongest man she knew and who would solve all the problems in her world with a wave of his hand. At that moment she wanted that more than anything.

"It will be alright my little flower" Jean murmured soothingly, rubbing circles in her back like she really was a child again. After Fleur calmed he reluctantly pulled away. "Off to bed flower. You need to sleep."

Fleur blinked at that, a little staggered. Jean smiled wryly.

"I need to track down Abby before she goes and learn as much as possible before I talk to the Potters about this. And I want to learn more about Harry Potter while I'm at it." He smiled as his daughter opened her mouth to argue and shook his head. Where did she get her stubbornness from, him or her mother?

"Go on Fleur you've had a busy day."

Sighing Fleur reluctantly acquiesced. She was about to leave when her father suddenly called her back.

"Fleur, did you ever hear about this condition before?" he asked. Abigail had said she should have.

Fleur frowned and sucked her lip for a moment.

"I think I may have heard a story a that had to do with a Veela princess marrying a pauper who had saved her when I was little-6 maybe?-from Aunt Andromaque. But I don't know if it's the same thing. And Great Aunt Esmé and I did not talk much before she died."

Fleur looked uncomfortable and Jean knew why. When she was fourteen she had nearly been raped by an eighteen year old Marcus Léfay on a school trip and since then had been questioning the Veela religion. She had stopped going to rites and celebrations and had had an antagonistic with the late Matriarch her great Aunt Esmé who had been a devout believer and a forceful personality. She had not stopped lecturing the younger girl about her lack of reverence and respect and Fleur had steadfastly refused to listen to the woman. It had been a ugly situation. Esmé had died a year ago and Fleur's grandmother Celeste had become the new clan's Matriarch, who had accepted her granddaughter's feelings and so far hadn't started trying to get her back into the fold. It was quite possible that in the confusion and melee of the last few years Esmé had not passed on the nugget of wisdom that she should have when she was criticising her grandniece and Celeste may have assumed her sister had already done so.

"I understand my flower. It's not your fault adults neglected to tell you part of your heritage." Scrubbing his face, he wondered if Apolline knew. What would happen if a married Veela obtained a life debt? If a woman rescued a Veela, would the same rules apply? What happened if the same Veela received another life debt to someone else? There was so much he didn't know and one thing he had learned in politics was that you always, always knew what was happening if you or your people or your enemies were involved. He needed to know everything he could about this phenomena as quickly as possible and learn as much as he could about the Potter family and most importantly-Harry Potter.

"Goodnight my flower. Sleep well."

Silently, Fleur padded out of the room and out into the corridor. She made her way to her private student quarters, her thoughts awhirl. Everything was happening so fast…her life was spinning out of its comfort zone and into uncharted territory. Within the next two months she would either be dead or wed to a stranger. It was more than a little unsettling.

At least, she reflected to herself, her father would be the one breaking the news to the Potters. It may be a cowardly thought but she was relieved not to be the one to tell them.

XXX

A/N: Ever get the problem where you have so many plots and storylines that you get very little actual writing done? I had the bulk of this chapter done two weeks ago and got stuck. Next thing I knew I was working on stories I haven't updated in a year. Then I started reading Fanfiction. Then I got some new story plots and started writing them out and so in the month of August- I got eff all done.

For anyone that's interested my other HP fics, The Green Wizard and Present Meets the Future hopefully will get updated soon. My Percy Jackson fic should get updated in a week or two; that slowed down to a crawl lately. Back to Basics a X-Men Evolution story is going under serious reworks and will be reedited and my Charmed story Disregarding the Rules has a new chapter percolating in the back of my hard drive. I have in this week alone come up with three or four new plot ideas for various things so I'm just slogging through it at the moment.

Back to this fic:

I know there are some things that need to be addressed in this story and I'm just going to list them. First though thank you ALL for the wonderful lovely reviews you've been giving me they are greatly appreciated. I love getting reviews even if I rarely answer them which is shoddy of me really. Some of you raised points that I'll address:

Background-I know that starting in the middle of the story means that a lot of the past history is unknown. I will be going over important bits-the Philosophers Stone, the Chamber, parts of Harry's childhood-they will be addressed. If anything else it'll give Harry and Fleur something to talk about.

Lily and James-they're not abusive and all that crap. At most they are simply too busy to deal with Harry their only 'normal' kid and let's face it that's not uncommon. They're wealthy, they've both got jobs, one of their children is extremely famous and they've got another who requires a lot of attention. I'm not making them abusive assholes (cough Dursleys cough) I'm trying to keep them human.

Nathan-I haven't even brought him in yet and already he's getting attention. Basically I'm basing him on JK's 15 year old James Potter-well loved, confident bordering on arrogant, popular and good at sport as well as being good in class. He also carries on the Marauder legacy-playing practical and often mean jokes. He's the golden boy of Hogwarts and is well aware of it. The whole BWL thing makes that considerably worse. He's still a 14 year old and 14 year olds can be obnoxious brats. He and Harry both have power equal to the other, because it always annoyed me in wrong BWL fics that Harry or his brother had all the power. I like balance-all of the Potter kids have their own talents. Nathan will be a little like the canon Dudley or even Draco-he's got a lot of growing up to do.

Rose-someone said she was acting a little too old for her age. That was a trap I had hoped to avoid. You think having a ten year old sibling I'd get it better, but then again, he's a boy so of course it's different and my sister's a couple of years older and acts like a diva so I don't have a good reference. Rose may act older than her age kind of like the canon Harry did, but she's still a nine year old kid that has her own issues at that age.

Oh and the songs from earlier, I don't own them unfortunately 'cause I love them but they are:

Paradise City-Guns N' Roses

Livin' on a Prayer-Bon Jovi

Summer of '69-Bryan Adams

The length-I know I said this was really, really long and for me it kind of is. I get that there are extremely talented writers out there who can write double what I can in the same length of time but I've been used to writing much smaller updates and so I'm just getting used to it. My year away has gotten me a lot of insight and I'm hoping to improve my writing.

Harry's power-rivals his brother. He's not weak or anything but if you push yourself too hard, you exhaust yourself which is what he did. And he's also 14, and is not yet fully grown so he can't tap fully into it yet. It'll be explained more later along with Nathan's power.

Veela race-my version

All female (sorry for all Draco Veela lovers out there)-creatures of air and fire

Worship the Goddess-the being who created the Veela race

Conduct rites offering their Magic to Her-think of Wiccan festivals and stuff

Matriarchs lead Veela clans-conduct rites and meet other Matriarchs to discuss various clan issues and problems and settle disputes

Women have children with men and predominantly have female Veela children. It is rare for Veela to have male children but if they do they are human, no Veela attributes, though they are extremely attractive

That's all I can think of for the moment. Anything else and I'll write it in later updates. Again thanks so much for all the nice reviews and I hope you like the newest chapter. Slán!


	4. Chapter 4

Sirius Black sighed deeply and ran a hand through his silky black hair, resisting the urge to swear and cuss out every bloody idiot in his old school, the place that he worked and people he associated with including some of his closest friends that even vaguely thought the TriWizard Tournament was a good thing to resurrect.

He closed his eyes briefly and willed his angry rants away before his headache got even worse. The last thing he needed was to be dragged into Amelia's office because he snapped and behaved in a manner unbecoming to one of her Aurors-such as hexing some of the most important members of their society and turning them into suitable barnyard animals. Dumbledore would make a good goat. Bagman would be a wasp of course. Crouch whenever he decided to show up for work again was a tricky one, but Padfoot was considering turning him into a lizard of some sort. He had always struck the dog Animagus as being cold blooded. Karkaroff, a slug maybe? Something equally spineless. Lily and Harry would probably get cross if he turned Snape into a bat for old times' sake, but in fairness to His Greasiness, he actually wasn't part of the problem for once. If his pride and sense of tradition didn't actually demand it, he and the bat of the dungeons could probably join forces in the face of a common enemy. There were plenty of potions that turned humans into animals after all.

He rubbed his eyes, chuckling wearily. His default setting-prank ideas. It was a wonder Emmeline stood by him when his mental state was often in line with the age group of some of her patients.

"Hey Padfoot!"

Sirius turned round and grinned wearily. Emerging from the Great Hall of Hogwarts with his usual entourage was Nathan Sirius Potter, his pseudo nephew who had spotted him and was striding over to him, a careless grin on his face. Nathan Potter was his father incarnate; slight and lean, with black hair forever looking as though he'd just been flying in a gale force wind, sticking up and out in every direction. His hazel eyes held the permanent mischievous twinkle his dad was famous for, though his glasses were thankfully different from his old man's. While not much, they along with his nose and ears, kept Sirius from thinking he had gone back in time, as did the large slanted S shaped scar on the boy's forehead. Nevertheless, there were days he found himself amazed all over again by the resemblance. There was hardly a trace of Lily in his appearance, while both of his siblings looked more like their mother. Harry had his mother's face and eyes, while Rose would be identical to her if her hair and eye colour were changed to her mother's. Looking at the Potter children often filled him with awe and disbelief at just how much time really had gone by.

"Hey there Prongslet give your poor old uncle a hug" he playfully pulled his nephew into a half hug, burying his head into the crook of the boy's neck.

"Ugh Padfoot! Bad dog! Get off of me you old mutt!" Nathan growled staggering as his uncle put all of his weight onto him.

Padfoot reared away, mortally offended, or so it appeared. "Who do you think you're calling old young man?"

"Well the mind's the first thing to go in old age, if that's the case you'd be as old as Professor Dumbledore at this stage" Nathan smirked as giggles erupted at his statement.

Sirius barked out a laugh before he could stop it and narrowed his eyes playfully at the unrepentant teenager.

"Cheeky brat" he muttered looking past his nephew to give a small tired smile to his entourage. "Hey Ron. Lions. And ladies of course."

Ron Weasley was instantly recognisable, a curvy buxom blonde on his arm wearing Gryffindor robes. Thomas and Finnegan, boys from Nathan's year that he had briefly met in his birthday party. Finnegan had his arm around a pretty Indian girl, who was giggling along with the blonde. Thomas had a pretty blonde Hufflepuff girl with him, standing a little farther away than the rest of the group. His nephew had a girl with him too, a pretty brunette with big blue eyes and large…assets. Trickling out of the Great Hall was the odd mix of Nathan's adoring fans that followed him where ever he went.

"This is Vicky Frobisher. Vicky this is my uncle Padfoot, Marauder, Auror and raving lunatic" Nathan gestured to his uncle.

"Nice to meet you Mr Black" Vicky said, pushing her dark hair over one shoulder, leaning against Nathan.

"Nice to meet you too Ms Frobisher and don't bother with Mr Black please it makes me feel as if I'm in trouble" Sirius eyed the girl who appeared to be at least a year or two older than his nephew and decided Nathan had good taste.

"What are you up to Padfoot?" Ron Weasley queried, one arm around the blonde's waist and the other holding a broom. All of the boys were carrying brooms so it was obvious where they were headed.

"Working" Sirius gave a long suffering sigh "something you hooligans know nothing about. Nate your parents took Rosie back last night; she wasn't feeling well. And Harry's still in the Infirmary; Poppy's not letting him out of her sight anytime soon."

Nathan's smile became a little stiff and fixed and he nodded curtly. "We're going to the Pitch to play a pick me up game. Are you hanging around?"

"Nah I'll be heading home soon enough. Need my beauty sleep. You don't want me looking like your Potions Professor do you?"

Nathan grinned half-heartedly as his friends' sniggered, Vicky giggling loudly. "See ya Padfoot."

"Later kiddo" Sirius called softly watching his nephew in everything but blood walk away with his entourage, frowning slightly.

It was sad to watch his nephews these days; similar in looks, but night and day in personalities. Nathan had always reminded Sirius of a mixture of himself and James. It was spooky sometimes. He was headstrong, confident, outgoing, clever, but not studious, adventurous and had a strong mischievous streak. He had James confidence and charm with a recklessness and sense of humour that rivalled his pseudo uncles, along with a certain cockiness and occasional arrogance that had been the weakness of his father and uncle at that age. He drove his poor mother spare with his antics.

Harry on the other hand was more like his mother and rather like Remus too. He was quieter than his brother, more reserved and less likely to draw attention to himself. His humour was more sly and witty; he was intelligent and more sensitive than his twin, possibly due to his closeness with his sister. He was a good older brother, far too responsible for his age, something his Uncle Moony was crippled by, even tempered but had Lily's awful temper when roused. It was queer how much his nephews reminded him of the others. It was possibly arrogant of them to only see themselves in the kids but he couldn't help it. It seemed that the Potter children had inherited the best and worst traits of their previous generation.

Nathan was his nephew, and miniature (Muggles called them Mini-Me or something). Harry was his godson and he had long nursed a soft spot for the oldest of the Potter children. He shouldn't have a favourite, it was wrong, unfair. But was it fair that Harry wasn't noticed more?

_It had been just before the boys turned six. Hale and hearty and healthy boys glowing with life and who were now old enough to go to school. It was then he had to acknowledge what he hadn't seen before. What he hadn't _wanted _to see before._

_Lily and James had recently had Rosie. It had been a wonderful hectic time. James had had to cut back on his job, something the public was quick to complain about. Damn Skeeter….poor Prongs had been ragged for months trying to keep everything together. Lily had been occupied with Rose at the time but she had found the time to focus on something else-her boys' education._

_Traditionally pure blooded children were home-schooled, either alone or in groups. Lily however had had her heart set on her boys going to Muggle School and no-one had been able to dissuade her. Never mind the massive headache it would involve keeping Nathan secure in such a public and vulnerable place, it was unfair to expect young boys to keep the Statute of Secrecy intact when they couldn't really understand the importance behind it. Everyone had been argued against it, but Lily had been adamant._

_It didn't even last a year. Nathan had hated it, hated that he couldn't talk about magic and that his daddy stopped bad wizards and his uncle Paddy turned into a dog and gave him rides on his back. He hated not being able to play on his broomstick or talk about the Quidditch matches he had been to. He didn't like the classes or the other students and unfortunately for Lily, upset little wizards could be little determined terrors. It was after the fifth time going to the school to undo Nathan's powerful, emotionally driven accidental magic that Lily had relented somewhat. She pulled the twins from school, on the agreement that they would still learn Muggle subjects and learn with other children. _

_This arrangement had relieved everyone, except Harry. He had loved the school and had pleaded to stay. Sirius often wondered if it Harry had liked it there so much because it was a place where he and Nathan were equals and he could be separate from his brother's shadow. But his parents had agreed to take them both out of Muggle schooling and so Harry unwillingly joined the little group his mother arranged to get together._

_But Harry had managed to get his mother to agree to let him play some of the local Muggle sports. He had found a great enjoyment out of football and swimming in the school and his mother was only too happy to have one of her sons interested in the Muggle world, even in a small way. It was amazing how the simplest of things underlined the issues they as a family possessed._

"_Hi Padfoot!" seven year old Nathan Potter dashed into the sitting room of the Potter home where Sirius had just stepped out of the fireplace, tackling the older man in a big hug, nearly knocking him back into the fire._

"_Merlin kiddo, are you trying to kill your uncle Paddy?" Sirius complained jokingly, staggering upright. "How are you doing Prongslet?"_

"_I'm fine."_

"_Hi Padfoot!" Harry appeared in the doorway his eyes bright, running over to give his own hug. Sirius's smile widened as he hugged his godson tightly. These were greetings that a man should never take for granted._

"_Well hey there pup" Sirius tossed Harry up in the air, making Harry laugh and Sirius wince; it wasn't as easy to do as it had once been. "How're you?"_

"_I'm fine" Harry said happily, dropping back onto the ground easily._

"_Hey Padfoot" James came in, looking a little tired, but he smiled at his friend. "Lil's with Rosie, she's not well."_

"_Again?" Sirius raised his eyebrows, worry prickling at him. Rose always seemed to be under the weather lately._

"_Lily thinks she's got a bug" James sighed, before smiling. "Did you tell them yet?"_

"_Tell us what?" Nathan demanded instantly, eyes narrowed suspiciously. _

"_We've got tickets to a game today" James said slowly, a grin on his face forming as realisation dawned on the boys' faces. With Rose ill and out of sorts lately and the boys doing well in their classes Lily suggested they do something fun together. Only Rose had come down with something again and the girls would be staying at home._

"_The Falcon/Catapults game?" Nathan said excitedly, hazel eyes growing huge. Harry, Sirius noticed, was looking puzzled._

"_Maybe" James pretended to think for a moment. "And we might have two tickets for two little boys that are the Catapults biggest fans…"_

"_Yes!" Nathan whooped in delight and threw up his arms._

"_Dad what about my game?" Harry spoke up suddenly, looking at his father._

_James blinked. "Your game?"_

"_Yeah my football game, remember? It's on today; I told you ages ago."_

"_Your game's not on today" James frowned. "It's…."_

_Oh. Shit. Sirius felt a lead weight drop into his stomach as his eyes met James as they both remembered an excited Harry telling them about his football team would be playing their first ever away match against another club. Sirius had missed his earlier matches and promised he would be there and had even put it in his planner, the same planner that met an unfortunate end a few days later when it had been used for stress relief after a crappy day._

_Now looking into his godson's eyes and seeing the realisation dawning in them, Sirius felt like an absolute , first rate ass, a feeling made worse at the disappointment he could see swimming in those bright eyes. Never had he felt as low as he did when Harry bit his lip and looked down, not fast enough how Sirius to spot the sudden sheen in them. Sirius had made it to Nathan's last Quidditch match and he knew James hadn't missed one of them yet, how the hell had they forgotten about Harry's game?_

Oh sweet dear Merlin_, please_ don't start crying pup, I'll start bawling along with you.

"_It's just a stupid football game, who cares?" Nathan said impatiently. "It's the Catapults playing."_

"_It's not stupid!" Harry said fiercely, glaring at his twin. The crackling embers in the fireplace seemed to flare up slightly, but Sirius didn't notice._

"_Yes it is! You don't even like Quidditch!"_

"_Yes I do! I just like football too!"_

"_It's stupid."_

"_Is not."_

"_Is too."_

"_Boys that's enough" James quickly broke up the derailing conversation and looked helplessly at Harry. _

"_Harry"_

"_It's ok" Harry interrupted, avoiding his father's eyes, keeping them fixed on the ground. "Adam's mum said I could go with them since Mum's minding Rosie. See you later." Head down he quickly left the room, the slump of his shoulders belying his unhappiness. _

_Sirius felt that lead weight move up into his throat as guilt burned. James started towards the door._

"_Dad" Nathan whined, tugging on his father's arm. "I want to go to the match. Harry can go to his stupid game on his own."_

"_Nathan" James said sternly._

"_No Prongs wait. You and Nate go to the match and I'll go with Harry to his game" Sirius said quickly._

_James looked uneasy. "Pads…"_

"_Padfoot! You have to go!" Nathan said horrified staring at his uncle._

"_I'm sorry Prongslet but I promised Harry I'd go to his match first" Sirius met James eyes. "You're Dad and Uncle Moony will be there and the Weasleys will be too."_

"_But I want _you _to come!"_

"_Nathan, Sirius made a promise and he has to keep it" regret coloured James's voice but his eyes sent a silent thank you to his brother. _

"_But"_

"_I'll get tickets for another match and we'll all go okay?" Sirius ruffled his nephew's hair, guilt pulling him in two directions. But Harry was the one who needed him more. "Have fun Prongslet."_

_Nathan was still protesting when Sirius left the room. The Animagus closed his eyes and rubbed his head, wishing he hadn't bollixed this up. _

_He could hear Rose whimpering in her room and the low voice of Lily trying to sooth her as he climbed the stairs. He didn't go over to say hello, since it sounded as if Lily was having enough trouble getting Rose to settle without more distractions and instead he went to his godson's room._

_The sight of his godson sitting on his bed, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his tee-shirt brought the guilt back in full force. Poor Harry had been so excited about the idea of his dad and godfather coming to his game. They'd missed his first two because of work and Rose being unwell and had promised to go to this one. And now they had forgotten and the sight of his godson crying because of him made him feel like two inches tall._

"_Hey pup" Sirius cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped into the room, making Harry jump and stare at him with wide, red rimmed eyes._

"_Hi Padfoot" Harry hastily wiped his eyes and shoved his glasses up his nose, blinking rapidly, as if hoping his godfather hadn't spotted him crying. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Well" Padfoot said quietly, crouching down to meet his godson's green eyes, inwardly groaning at the sight of rain outside the window; Harry's game hopefully wouldn't get cancelled. "It seems that I've got a very important game to go to with my favourite godson."_

_For a moment, Harry's eyes widened and hope suddenly flared bright before it dimmed and he bit his lip._

"_You don't have to. It's only a football game, it's not really important" Harry didn't look at him._

"_Oh yes it is" Sirius said stubbornly, squeezing his godson's hands. "My awesome godson is playing and going to kick the other team's as-butts to the moon." _

_Harry smiled slightly and Sirius pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry I forgot about it" he said softly. "I put it in my diary and everything and I set it on fire later because Dawlish blew up a building and scared all the bad guys away and I wanted to turn him into a toilet and put him in my bathroom but your daddy wouldn't let me and then I got a nasty Howler from that crazy lady that your uncle Paddy thought was pretty and it set my pants on fire and I had to throw my coffee on them to put it out-"_

_Harry was giggling at this stage and Sirius grinned and tightened his hold. "It's ok Padfoot."_

"_No it's not" Sirius half wailed; mindful to keep his voice down. "I was silly and an idiot. I've got porridge for brains, your mummy's right about me. So to make up for it we're going to go to your game and afterward I'm going to be your slave and buy you lots and lots of ice-cream and you can't tell your mummy or else she'll turn me into a green poodle again."_

_Harry was actually laughing now, his eyes shining as they broke apart. "Ok!"_

_Sirius grinned and hauled his godson up, noting with relief that the rain had tapered off; hopefully it would stay away for Harry's game. _

"_Ok pup let's go" Sirius declared catching his godson's hand. "We're off to play football! How do you play football?"_

_Harry laughed again._

Sirius sighed wistfully and shook his head. It may not have seemed like much back then, but there had been repercussions. For the next few years, Sirius would attend Harry's special events, often with his godmother Alice Longbottom and Remus, but rarely with the boy's _parents_. It had begun to strain the relationship between the Potters and himself; every time something came up, Harry's needs were always pushed aside. Lily and James missed more of his special events and his achievements then his siblings. They were too damn busy to pay more attention to their eldest and that pissed Sirius off. But what pissed him off more was that Harry knew it and accepted it, willingly staying out of his parents way because of their work, Nathan's fame or Rose's power. It wasn't right and Sirius had vowed years ago to be there for him. When he had almost been sorted into Slytherin, when he'd discovered girls, when he had nearly died during his school years and his fears about the TriWizard Tournament, it had been Sirius Harry had turned to. This led to problems in and itself. James and he were growing further apart as years went on. Nathan resented that his brother was closer and spent more time with his favourite uncle than he did. Lily tried to keep everything together, unable to stop the growing gulf between her family and unwilling to confront the problem directly.

The issues and problems in his little made up family had been there for years. He had seen the cracks, noticed them forming, spreading, widening. Eventually they would cause it all to break. And he didn't know how to stop it.

He shook his head like a dog trying to get water out of its ears exasperatedly, annoyed with himself for his wandering thoughts. What would Moody say? _Constant vigilance Black, wizards have lost buttocks wool gathering-_or something like that. He didn't like spending time on deep thinking, it tended to make him angry or depressed. Remus would tease him that he simply didn't have the mental capacity for such strenuous activity.

"Auror Black?"

Sirius turned sharply, his hand twitching towards his wand, mentally berating himself for letting his guard down, only to pause when he spotted Jean-Claude Delacour striding towards him.

"Minister Delacour" Sirius said warily, straightening as the other man approached. The almost immediate thought Sirius had was that the man looked like hell, pale and shadows under his eyes. He was dressed impeccably, his hair completely in place, so that he looked like a well-dressed vampire. There was a sort of weariness clinging to him, an almost palpable aura of exhaustion or worry resting on his shoulders. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Delacour gave a brief, tired smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I apologise for delaying you. I wanted to thank you for yesterday and your efforts to discover the truth. I must admit I was too enraged to be particularly civil to those who were only doing their jobs and had no involvement in my plight."

"Considering the circumstances, I was impressed by your restraint" Sirius admitted. "I don't think I would have hesitated to hexing the organisers to oblivion if I had been in your position."

"I was sorely tempted" Jean-Claude smiled faintly.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry about what happened and disgusted by what my people did. I was ready to hex the lot of them myself." Harry collapsing unconscious in his arms would be a memory that would stay with him for a long time.

"Thank you" the other man murmured before rousing himself. "I appreciate your words; they are more than I have received from the so called organisers. But I digress; there was another reason for my stopping you."

Sirius tilted his head.

"I am aware that you are close friends with the Potter family" Jean-Claude met his eyes. Emotion swirled in the dark blue eyes that Sirius couldn't decipher. "I would like to personally thank the boy who saved my daughters at great risk to himself and also discuss the debt my family owes his."

"Harry" Sirius said quietly, a wealth of pride in his voice "is an amazing kid. He won't expect anything for saving your daughter. It's just his nature. I will let him know that you'd like to talk to him."

"Thank you" Jean tilted his head. "But I also wish to speak to his parents. An incredibly serious development occurred and I need to speak to them urgently."

"What sort of development?" Sirius said sharply, his eyes narrowing at once.

"It is something I must speak to the Potters" Delacour said softly. "As quickly as possible. On my word as a wizard, what I speak of is important."

Thoughts flashed through Sirius's mind-never, _ever_ trust a politician-but those words made him make his decision.

"I'll get them now."

XXX

Fleur winced as she woke up. Her body was sore but the more pressing matter was that her head _ached_. It felt like her brain was banging painfully against her skull, trying to escape its calcium confines. The last time she had felt like this she had been sixteen and her paternal cousin Raphael had given her Fire whiskey.

She reluctantly opened her eyes, only to blink when she saw the unfamiliar ceiling. Then the memories came back.

_Oh dear divine save me._

Fresh hot salty tears sprang to her crusty eyes; washing away the evidence of last night's crying session only to be replaced by the next one. She sniffed, struggling not to sob; her throat still hurt from crying herself to sleep the night previously. The weight on her chest seemed to expand and squeeze tightly. If she concentrated she could almost feel her magic slowly seeping away, like a punctured Muggle tire, going to a younger boy who had saved her life.

_Oh Goddess I don't want to die._

The dam broke. Fleur shuddered and took a deep heaving breath and buried her face into her pillow and cried, her body shaking with the force of her sobs. She ignored her pounding head and a faint whisper in her mind that sounded a lot like one of her Great Aunt Esmé's lectures. _'Nothing was ever accomplished from crying silly girl. Stop moping and whining and actually behave like a proper Veela daughter. You will never accomplish anything if all you do is cry when things don't go your way. Honestly, Apolline, how are you raising your children? No discipline at all.'_

This really didn't help and Fleur continued her crusade of ignoring her Great Aunt's tirades even in her head by allowing her fear and despair and self-pity to engulf her. She mourned the death of distant, vague ideas for the future that she had made; the loss of her freedom and control of her future. Did she even have a future? She raged helplessly against the unfairness of it all; her damn heritage ruining her life _again_, those bloody _idiots _in the TriWizard Tournament for organising such a _stupid_ Task, herself for being so _stupid _and foolish and _arrogant _for deciding to join this wretched competition in the first place. She had been so sure, so confident in her abilities and so eager to prove she was a talented and powerful witch, not just a pretty faced bitch that she now found herself in this position. _Pride goeth before the fall…_

She was so lost in her storm of self-pity that she failed to notice the door opening until a hand gently touched her shoulder, scaring the living daylights out of her. She blindly twisted around, praying it wasn't her father. She couldn't bear it if he were to witness her complete breakdown.

Instead it was her little sister Gabrielle who was looking worriedly at her, big sky blue eyes large and affectionate. Her baby sister Gabby, who had been forced into the Tournament because of her.

Gabrielle's bewilderment increased as her big sister starting crying again. When she had met her Aunt Abby in the guest carriage she had been ecstatic to see her, until she found out that her sister was in trouble. Aunt Abby wouldn't tell her what was wrong with her big sister, but she did say that she was very upset, which was simply unacceptable to the younger witch. For years she had seen her big sister upset at many things, boys who made her cry and girls who were nasty to her because she was prettier and smarter than them. If someone upset her sister, they would answer to _her_.

But she didn't know who or what had made her sister so upset. So Gabrielle called the family elf for some of those fruit flavoured fondant filled chocolates and some chocolate mousse cake that her sister loved before going into her sister's room on a mission.

Her sister however didn't look like she was going to want to eat anytime soon, so, setting the basket of treats on the bedside table, she crawled into her sister's bed and snuggled into her, wrapping her arm around her like their mother used to do when they were sick. She waited for her big sister to finish crying and to find out what had made her so unhappy so that she could fix it.

Nobody messed with her big sister when she was around.

XXX

"James!"

"Padfoot" the tired Captain Potter answered his long-time friend. "Please."

Sirius was not dissuaded. "Don't you Padfoot me James. Jean-Claude Delacour swore on his word as a wizard that something serious has come up involving Harry. And you don't think that's a cause for concern?"

"Damn it Sirius of course it does!" James shouted. "But the seven dead Muggles butchered in Lancashire were definitely killed by wizards. Rufus needs the higher ups for this."

Sirius stifled a snarl that Padfoot was itching to make at his pack brother. Yes those Muggles needed someone to find out what happened to them and send the bastards to Azkaban. But Harry needed his father too.

"Oh it's alright if Harry needs your help he's not important" Sirius growled. "I don't think you'd be so slow if _Nathan _needed you."

"That's not fair Padfoot!" James roared his tanned face red with fury.

"No it's not and neither is Harry getting pushed aside every damn time something comes up! Damn it Prongs you barely know your own son!"

"_Don't you think I know that!"_ James bellowed back, looking less angry and more wretched. "_I can't_ _leave_ Siri. You know Harry better than me, you act as his guardian. It's not something new is it?" And with that the hand mirror Sirius was holding went blank so that Sirius could only see his reflection.

"_Son of a-!"_ swearing Sirius slammed his free hand against the stone wall. The ancient stone looked untouched but Sirius now had an aching fist to curse about.

"Damn it Prongs" Sirius dropped onto a desk, cradling his injured hand.

It was the first time Sirius had heard James admit he had a problem with Harry. The two had grown antagonistic for the last couple of years as Harry grew into his teens, the pair's conversations often barbed and snippy. Lily tried to mediate but she wasn't much better. It was more likely that Harry would listen to him, Alice or occasionally Moony or Frank. James knew Harry listened to him more than anyone and this was starting to strain their friendship. Harry was a good kid, with a heart of gold, but he was his father's son and could hold a grudge like the best of them.

Lily and James were simply too busy with their jobs, their fame and their lives to give all their full attention to their kids. When Sirius and Emmeline decided to have their own family, Sirius knew they'd have to make compromises. He didn't want to end up like his brother.

Sirius closed his eyes and sighed, tucking the mirror away. Tapping his wand against his bruising knuckles he healed his hand and stood up to leave. As he opened the door he saw Delacour waiting patiently for him outside the classroom he'd ducked into to call James.

"Harry's parents are currently unavailable for the moment" Sirius smiled a false grin. "As his godfather, I've been given permission to act on their behalf."

XXX

"Harry!"

Harry grunted as a bushy brown haired missile tackled him with some considerable force and almost knocked him over again.

"Ow 'Mione. I need to breathe or Madam Pomfrey will come over and give me nasty potions."

"Well you sound alright" Neville Longbottom grinned at him.

"You scared us Harry! We were so worried!"

"An attack by the Aquavirius Maggots is very serious Harry. I hope you've had some Plimpy juice."

"Hi guys" Harry grinned fondly at his friends as they clustered around his bed. "Sorry for scaring you."

"I should hope so" Hermione huffed, letting him go to his relief. He was still sore.

Harry carefully pulled himself up and leaned back against his pillows, feeling fond affection bubble up inside him at the sight of his friends. Neville and he had been friends since they were toddlers, Luna since he'd been eight and Hermione since they started Hogwarts. He couldn't imagine life without them. And to make the vision even better, they had goodies.

Harry grinned as Neville tossed him a bag of Jelly Toads and Fizzing Whizzbees. There were also boxes of Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Ice Mice, and a large slab of Honeydukes best chocolate.

"Thanks guys" he bit into a raspberry slug, feeling it wiggle and then spurt out raspberry juice onto his tongue.

"No problem. The beans and the chocolate frogs came from Padma and Susan; they hope you get better soon." The heir of Longbottom scrutinised his best friend, his open honest face concerned. "Are you ok then?"

"Yeah I'm fine" Harry gave him a small smile. "I could actually leave if Madam Pomfrey wasn't so strict."

"You passed out the second you were pulled out of the lake Harry, that's not fine" Hermione said in a no nonsense voice. While people who didn't actually know her thought she came off as abrasive and bossy, those who knew her understood it to be just her way of showing she cared. She was socially awkward at times, but then again, she fit right in with the odd group of Gryffindors that were her friends, none of whom were social butterflies themselves.

"Gaia is helping him Hermione. She will have him back to normal in no time" Luna had picked up a bottle of Butterbeer that Harry hadn't noticed and carefully slipped the lid into her pocket, probably for her necklace, humming softly.

Hermione huffed but said nothing, taking a Butterbeer from the airy blonde. Neville grinned at Harry and plopped down beside Hermione, squeezing her shoulders before picking up a Chocolate Frog. "So when is the mistress of medicine going to let you escape from her clutches?"

"When I'm satisfied he won't have to come back Mr Longbottom" Pomfrey's crisp voice answered Neville who jumped out of his skin and splashed Butterbeer everywhere, to Harry and Hermione's dismay.

"And my patients wonder why I'm reluctant to allow them visitors with get well soon presents" Pomfrey shook her head and vanished the mess, leaving a sheepish Neville holding a half empty bottle.

Harry chuckled. Neville, bless him, was perhaps the clumsiest person he'd ever met, with the Dora Tonks as his main rival for the title. His godmother had charmed most of the easily accessible objects to be unbreakable when they were kids and they would spend hours dropping expensive vases and bowls and ornaments so that they would bounce up and down like basketballs.

"Now kindly step away please I need to check Mr Potter" Pomfrey raised her wand and murmured a vaguely familiar diagnostic spell he'd seen be used numerous times on Rose. Her brows rose and she stared at the shimmering results hovering at the tip of her wand, shaking her head.

"Magical exhaustion yesterday, conjuring a Patronus hours later and twenty four hours on, your magic is almost two thirds replenished" she said utterly nonplussed. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Daddy has had lovely articles written about how gem stones and power lays under the earth that can increase the power of the person in contact with them" Luna said dreamily. "Not to mention the presence of certain beings can emit energy that can be absorbed by humans. We are a very unimpressive species compared to the others that share the world with us."

"That's true" Hermione agreed and Harry and Neville exchanged grins.

"Yes well" Pomfrey shook her head. "Potter you haven't taken anything or done anything dangerous to boost your magic?"

"Of course not!" Harry snapped shocked as Hermione and Neville shouted out protests.

"I just need to be sure Potter, don't get upset" Pomfrey said calmly, not wanting to agitate the boy to performing more accidental magic. "Magical exhaustion is very serious and the fact that you are recovering so quickly is extremely unusual."

"You shouldn't have your mind closed to new ideas and perceptions Madam Pomfrey. Otherwise you will be blind to new ways of thinking" Luna said seriously, picking up a Peppermint Toad.

Pomfrey blinked at the odd Gryffindor, momentarily stupefied. Hermione bit her lip as she glanced at the boys.

"So you have no idea why your magic appears to have defied the laws of magic and recovered far faster than normal?"

"No Ma'am" Harry lied easily, counting his lucky stars that he knew Occulmency. Neville looked impassive, taking a drink from his Butterbeer while Hermione averted her eyes. Luna didn't appear to be following the conversation.

There was nothing wrong with elementals and their magic; though not well liked or fully understood by society, it wasn't held in the same stigma as Parseltongue or necromancy. But after so many years of keeping quiet and out of the way, few people actually knew about his power. By the time he was old enough to understand it; he had an unconventional tutor and mentor, along with his god-brother Neville and had simply decided not to talk about it. Most of friends knew too and they respected his decision to keep it quiet. And Rose would never breathe a word about anything he didn't want others to know. For a little sister, she was awesome.

And speaking of…Harry cut Pomfrey off as she opened her mouth. "Is Rose ok?"

"Your mother Flooed while you were still sleeping" though clearly sceptical, Pomfrey seemed willing to change the subject. "I told her you were recovering far beyond expectations and she informed me that your sister was tired but on her way to full recovery also."

Harry sighed in relief and Neville looked relieved, carefully unwrapping a Chocolate Frog.

"Now" Pomfrey said briskly, her wand copying the images to parchment. "You may stay provided you are quiet and do not upset my patient. I do not need a repeat of the performance from last night Potter, do you understand?"

"No Ma'am" Harry said hastily, grimacing at the memory of his argument with his father that he just knew wasn't going to be forgotten anytime soon.

"We'll be good Madam Pomfrey" Hermione said earnestly.

Still looking dubious the matron returned to her office, leaving the teenagers alone.

"I think you blew it out of the water there Har" Neville nibbled his chocolate, smiling at his joke.

"Oh ha, ha" Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione gently slapped Neville's arm.

"What happened to our idea of using Gillyweed in the task Harry?" Hermione frowned at her friend.

"It flew out of the window when I found out Rose was a hostage under the lake" Harry growled, anger flickering again. "Trust me I hadn't planned on transforming but somehow-"

"Like last year with the Dementors" Neville finished in understanding, realisation dawning.

"Yeah" Harry shuddered.

"I thought it took years before a transformation could take place" Hermione said keenly, drawing her legs up onto the bed.

"It does" Harry sighed and pushed himself up further. "But a lot of magic is willpower. I was so angry and afraid that my magic just took things into its own hands. I suddenly knew I could do it."

"Mastering fire and water, the two most incompatible and opposite elements is very impressive Harry" Luna took off her Butterbeer necklace and started taking the others caps to add to it. "They are a very rare combination to find."

"Yeah" Harry's fingers itched to play with his pentacle pendant, but it was still in his dormitory. It was strange not having it on.

"So your water form is a mermaid" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Merman" Harry and Neville corrected.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, merman then. So you've now mastered two elements and have two forms, so you have two more elements to master."

Harry grunted. An elemental's form was the manifestation of their element. Godric Gryffindor had been a fire elemental and his form had been that of a griffin. His ancestor Reginald Potter had been an ice elemental and had had been an artic fox. An elemental's form was similar to the Animagus transformation, unique to the elemental in question and generally, the more powerful the element, the more powerful the form. The four main elements, earth, fire, wind and water were the rarer and more powerful elements, with many lesser elements such as ice, plants, smoke that appeared every few years. There had been true elementals recorded in history, beings who could command all four of the elements, though very few had been recorded in Western Europe, although it was possible that they had simply kept quiet about it, considering the discrimination in the region. The form or forms were achieved through deep understanding and control of the element-or as it had been so far in Harry's case, in extreme emotional or physical turmoil.

As much as he was pleased to have achieved his second form, accidently or not, he hoped it would be a while before he achieved the next one and it would actually be because he had truly mastered it rather than simply being desperate enough to force it. It had taken months before he felt comfortable manipulating flame again and he still occasionally set things on fire when he felt passionately about something.

Making a mental note to check his control of water as soon as he was free from the fearsome 'Mistress of Medicine', he grabbed a Fizzing Whizzbee. "I'm surprised there's no healthy snacks here Hermione. Is your boyfriend corrupting you?"

"It's well known that sugar is the best medicine one can have when sick" Luna interjected idly as Hermione stuck out her tongue at him. "A spoonful of sugar helps the potions go down after all."

Hermione snorted loudly and nearly spilled her Butterbeer as she started laughing.

XXX

"Hey there pup" Sirius walked into the Hogwarts Infirmary, chuckling slightly as huge green eyes whipped around to face him.

"Padfoot!" He bolted upright, ignoring the minor aches and pains that had decreased dramatically after numerous foul and slimy potions had been forced down his throat.

"Whoa easy kiddo, watch yourself" Sirius came over quickly, catching the boy by his shoulders; half afraid he would pass out again. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine" Harry groaned, hugging his godfather. "Actually, no I'm not. I'm _bored_."

Sirius felt a grin begin to form at the pout on his nephews face. He looked about the same age as Rose when he did that.

"What's the matter; d'you not enough goodies to keep you going?" he poked at a bag of Honeydukes finest with a hungry eye. Well used to his godfather's voracious appetite, Harry tossed him a box of Every Flavour Beans and carefully pulled the bag closer to him to protect it.

"Nev, Luna and Hermione had to go back to class; they only got the morning off and I'm not allowed leave yet" Harry knew he was whining but damn it, he was bored. He had a couple of books and homework assignments that Hermione had thoughtfully left him, but he was too restless to read. He wanted to leave, go outside, go for a walk or fly or even get out of the bed for a bit. His exhaustion was still there, but he had been sleeping on and off for over a day and he was getting heartily sick of it. He wanted to go!

"Ah your mates haven't come up with an escape plan yet?" Sirius sighed dramatically. "Some best friends' you have."

"They're afraid of Madam Pomfrey" Harry said simply. Really, there wasn't much more to say. "Hey, was Aunt Alice here yesterday? I forgot to ask Nev."

"Yes she was. Frank was stuck in the office the poor sod." Frank Longbottom, Head of the House of Longbottom had once been a top Auror along with himself and James, until the attack by the Lestranges in '81 left him crippled and stuck to a desk job. The man was highly regarded and Sirius didn't envy the man being stuck to deal with the muck up the TriWizard Tournament had left them. "The Ministry was in uproar over the brilliant idea of kidnapping children for entertainment. Apparently the French Ministry had not been impressed."

"How is Dumbledore doing; I heard he was in trouble."

"Not as much as he should be but he's on probation as the ICW head. The judges are saying that they couldn't ask for parents' permission because the Goblet of Fire's secrecy oath meant that they weren't allowed to tell anyone what the task was about."

"Dad said that Dumbledore asked them for permission" Harry scoffed.

"Probably because he had to in the case of your sister" Sirius said reluctantly, noticing Harry didn't appear impressed by that. Harry didn't like Dumbledore, he never had. When he was nine, Sirius had asked why. The nine year old had said simply because Dumbledore made his mum and dad upset and he didn't like seeing his mummy crying whenever Dumbledore came to visit.

That was a depressing, though unfortunately accurate view on the relationship between the Potters and the Headmaster of Hogwarts in recent years, his best friends torn with the knowledge that one day their youngest son could face the most feared Dark Lord of the last few centuries. That was a burden no parents should have to bear and it was wearing them down as their children grew older.

"So anyway" Sirius drawled slowly, deliberately lightening the conversation. "If I were to say, spring you from this joint" he stifled a smirk at Harry's sudden attentiveness "would you think I was the most awesome godfather ever?"

Twenty minutes later, a grinning Harry followed his godfather to the kitchens. Pomfrey had been reluctant to let him go and both she and Sirius had compromised, agreeing to let him go out for a couple of hours as long as he spent the night in the Hospital Wing again. Harry wasn't thrilled to hear that but the lure of even a brief respite was too good to pass on. Unlike Pomfrey Sirius wasn't too concerned about his rapid recovery. He dated what in the Muggle world would be a paediatrician and he knew enough to know that kids could recover from things adults could take weeks to. He'd once seen Nathan recover from something similar within a week in his first year and it wasn't too surprising to see Harry do something similar. They were twins after all.

"So" Sirius started as his godson dropped into his seat across from him as house elves swarmed over to take orders "tell me what happened yesterday."

Harry swallowed his pumpkin juice and nodded, before launching into his story, about what happened under the lake, pausing only when they were given huge bowls of spaghetti and meatballs. Talk halted as the pair fell on their food like savages, washed down with large helpings of garlic bread and breaded cheese balls.

"So why does Fleur's father want to talk to me?" Harry asked, tucking into his treacle tart.

"He wouldn't say" Sirius took a big bite of his banoffi pie. "But it sounds like something to do with you saving his daughter."

"I didn't" Harry spluttered, ignoring the eye roll "anybody would have done it. She needed some help so" unable to continue, he just waved a helpless hand.

"Pup" Sirius shook his head fondly at his godson "you saved his daughter. That's a big deal. You know about Life Debts."

"Ugh I know" Harry groaned, dropping his face into his hands. "But it's so stupid. You shouldn't have to be given something just for saving someone's life. It makes it sound wrong."

Sirius couldn't stop the proud grin that formed on his face.

"So when are we going?" Harry asked resignedly.

"Eh, after seconds?" Sirius held up his empty bowl and almost instantly two house elves appeared. Grinning despite himself, Harry accepted more treacle tart.

XXX

Harry nervously tugged on his collar, feeling ridiculously nervous as he and Padfoot made their way towards the Beauxbatons carriage.

"Stop fidgeting" Sirius grinned at the Potter heir's nervousness. The boy had faced a Horntail and a basilisk and he was uncomfortable at the idea of talking to the father of the girl he had saved. Go figure. Shaking his head, Sirius rapped on the door.

A pretty brunette a couple of years older than Harry opened it, looking puzzled.

"_Bonjour_" Sirius flashed his patented smile, which helped make up for his atrocious accent. "We're here to see Minister Delacour."

The teenage witch blushed. "_Au bout du couoir __à__gauche._"

"_Gracias_" Sirius said brightly, ignoring his godson's snort of laughter, stepping into the carriage and going the direction the girl had indicated, seeing as neither knew a lick of French (or Spanish) between them. Harry peered around interestedly, noting the carriages reminded him of a school corridor, dimly lit and brown carpet. Several doors down, Harry managed to snag another witch for directions before Sirius got them lost and she was able to direct them to a door further down the carriage.

Sirius knocked.

"Enter."

Padfoot opened the door and gestured Harry forwards, following his godson into the small office. Ducking his head Harry entered.

His first thought was that Jean Claude Delacour was nothing like the politicians he'd ever seen in his life. He was tall and broad shouldered his hair well-kept and his clothes immaculate. He was so different from Cornelius Fudge it was unbelievable. The man rose from behind his desk and Harry could see the man's deep set blue eyes looking very tired. He looked like the one suffering from exhaustion, but nevertheless the man smiled at the sight of his guests.

"Mr Potter, Mr Black, thank you so much for coming." Idly, Harry noticed his accent was far less noticeable than his daughters.

"Hello Mr Delacour" Harry said quietly, accepting the hand that stretched towards him, sensing Sirius behind him.

"Harry Potter" the Frenchman grip was firm. Blue eyes met green while grey watched in the background. "It is an honour to meet you. Please sit" he gestured towards one of the seats in front of the desk.

Harry took one, smiling slightly at his godfather, deeply glad that he was there. The Animagus was watching the other man contemplatively, his professional face on. Despite the fact Padfoot probably hadn't gotten much more sleep than the other man, he was clearly alert and aware.

"Firstly Mr Potter" Jean Claude had retaken his seat and was looking at Harry with deep emotion. "I wish to thank you. There are no words possible to express my gratitude. You saved my daughter's life and that is something my family and I can never repay you for."

Only the training from Augusta Longbottom kept Harry from squirming in his seat, but it couldn't stop the blush that was staining his cheeks. He knew without even looking that his godfather was smiling at him.

"Sir I-" Harry cleared his throat, cursing silently, before trying again. "I understand but I was just doing what anyone else would do. I was just glad to help. Is Fleur alright?"

Jean Claude smiled at him, but Harry noticed it didn't reach his eyes. There was something wrong with the man but Harry didn't know what. He could easily tell that the man was a Master Occulmens.

"She has recovered yes" the other man said softly. "But before that, I need to discuss the debt my family owes you."

"I resolve you and your family of any debt" Harry said instantly. He had never liked the idea of Life debts. "You and your family owe me nothing."

"That is generous of you" Jean studied the young man-he couldn't be called a boy-with calculating eyes.

"I've never liked the idea of people having to give something to those who saved them. I think it cheapens the whole thing. You shouldn't get a reward for saving someone."

"A very interesting opinion" Jean gave him a small genuine smile.

"You said there was an important matter to discuss" Sirius spoke for the first time. "While Life Debts are important and can't simply be waved away, I doubt that is why we are here."

"You are correct Auror Black" Jean-Claude dipped his head towards his godfather before returning to Harry. "I apologise for being so abrupt and forceful; I was unaware you were still recovering in the hospital."

"Well I was allowed out of the hospital wing so I think I should thank you" Harry joked, feeling jittery.

"Ah a man with his priorities in order I approve" Jean smiled faintly and Sirius flashed a small grin, but said nothing.

"So what was it that you needed to speak to me about?" Harry asked guardedly.

Jean studied him. What he was searching for, Harry had no idea but he didn't move.

"May I call you Harry?" he asked.

"That's fine" Harry glanced at Sirius questioningly who nodded at him, keeping his eyes on Delacour.

Delacour sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them again and locked eyes with the teenager, whose bad feeling was growing.

"Last night I become aware of something extremely serious, something that concerns my daughter and you Harry" Jean Claude began tiredly. "Firstly you must know that whatever your decision, my family will respect. We will not pressure or manipulate you whatever your decision."

Ok this sounded _bad._ Harry tensed, knowing his godfather had stiffened slightly beside him.

Jean-Claude sighed. "How much do you know about life debts?"

Harry blinked at the question. "They are a form of ancient magic, binding and absolute. They can only happen in certain circumstances and can be passed on through generations if they're not called due by the immediate parties." This is why he was eager to get rid of whatever debt the Delacours may have picked up. Life debts were relatively rare, so it was possible they only had to satisfy family honour which wasn't dictated by magic. He hoped so anyway.

He really needed to stop being so optimistic.

Jean-Claude inclined his head at Harry's answer. "A very good answer yes."

"Your daughter incurred a Life Debt, that's confirmed?" Sirius asked sharply.

"It is" Jean looked at Sirius. "And this is the situation."

"What situation?" Harry asked uneasily, his stomach coiling uncomfortably. He had a really bad feeling about this.

"My daughter is a Veela Harry, Mr Black. She, my daughter and my wife, they are not human." He smiled wryly. "Their magic is different to ours; it behaves differently to human magic. Last night I was made aware of a-_flaw_-in their magic that affects them when they are bound by a Life Debt."

"What kind of flaw?" Sirius's eyes were steel as the stone cold Auror Captain processed what he was being told.

"I've never heard of Veela and Life Debts before" Harry said cautiously, his instincts telling him he wasn't going to like this, warning him to run, leave. "Should I have?"

"I have never heard of it until yesterday" Jean shook his head. "It is kept very quiet because Veela fear the consequences if it were to become common knowledge."

"If what were to become common knowledge?" Sirius growled, sounding very much like Padfoot, one hand on Harry's arm.

"When a Veela is saved and a Life Debt forms her magic links to her saviour. Over time" he closed his eyes for a moment "her magic will transfer to the person who rescued her. Permanently. And the Veela will die shortly after."

"WHAT?"

Harry sucked in a sharp breath, the air forced out of his lungs in seconds with the force of a Bludger. Sirius was on his feet in seconds.

"Are you telling us that my godson saved your daughter's life only for her to die anyway because of a _Life Debt_?" the Animagus demanded.

"Yes" Jean looked squarely into the flashing grey eyes. He pushed forward a folder that was sitting on his desk towards the other two. "I have spent the last twenty four hours speaking to various Veela and specialist Healers who are aware of the phenomenon. It is very rare and so irregular that very little is known about it, but what is known is in that."

Sirius snatched up the folder, flipping it open and scanning the parchments inside. The sudden intensity, followed by the colour draining from his face made any feeble hopes that Harry had that this was all a big joke, fade. Sirius swallowed hard, and met his godson's eyes, silently showing him the first parchment stamped with the EMHC seal-the European Magical Health Commission.

_Shit. _

Harry swallowed hard, hastily reinforcing his Occulmency shields; it would not do to lose control and flood the Beauxbatons carriage. His eyes widened when he remembered what Jean-Claude had said earlier. "You said that Veela magic transfers to their saviour-does that mean?"

"Fleur's magic is transferring to you yes" the older man nodded.

Instantly, Harry closed his eyes and let himself fall inwards, searching for his magic. His core appeared in his mind's eye instantly; a pulsing golden orb with tendrils expanding gracefully around it, reminding him of the sun emitting rays and radiation. The magic seemed fine, better even than he had last seen it; the core expanding from its recent strains and recovery, linking to the ambient energy around him to aid its growth.

And then he felt as feel as saw it; a single glimmer, almost invisible among the brightness. A silver strand, coiling and relaxing, nestled among the gold strands, linking to the main core, completely unfamiliar to him. As he watched, he saw the strand spread a silver sheen over the gold, growing thicker and brighter as the silver was absorbed by the gold. The core pulsed in response.

"_Cachu"_ Harry snarled vehemently, his eyes flying open.

"Language" Sirius coughed the warning somewhat obligatory and not having much feeling behind it.

"What can I do?" Harry demanded to Jean Claude. "How do I stop this?" Money, oaths or your first born was one thing; a Life Debt giving someone another person's magic at the expense of their life was completely unacceptable. And Madam Longbottom had been cross with him for thinking Life Debts were stupid years ago…

The older man just looked at the frantic teen in front of him, considering him.

"I would assume that it is unlikely that my daughter will save your life in the coming weeks?"

Sirius snorted loudly.

"It's not impossible" Harry said carefully, thinking about his years in Hogwarts, basilisks, three headed dogs and Dementors running through his head. "But it's probably unlikely."

Sirius crossed his eyes briefly at his godson, cracking a small smile.

"There is only one known way to stop the magic drain" Jean Claude said quietly. "While it's possible for Veela to cancel the debt by saving their saviour's life, it is rare. To satisfy the debt, you Harry, would have to give her some of your magic to stabilise hers."

"What do you mean by _giving_ magic to her?" Sirius said sharply.

Jean-Claude paused before speaking and Harry's dread worsened; he could almost feel it coiling around his neck ready to hang him.

"To bond with her" Jean said at last. Identical stupefied faces stared at him but he continued. "A bonding ceremony is the permanent joining of two people, their magic entwined for life. The Life Debt would be satisfied, stopping her magic drain."

"You cannot be serious" Sirius said blankly after a moment, his mind refusing to comprehend what he had just heard. He stared at the older man looking for a hint of duplicity.

"On my honour as a wizard" Jean intoned softly. He sighed and studied the young man who had gone very pale.

"You expect my godson to _marry your daughter_?" Sirius demanded. No Occulmency could stop the Grim Animagus from exploding. "He's fourteen!"

"I am aware of zhat Mr. Black" a trace of the man's accent slipped through his voice. "I do not like zhis either and rest assured I have spent all day speaking to the every official and expert I could, trying to find a loophole as the British call it. Veela and oath bound professionals are aware of the phenomena and very little understanding or headway has been made in preventing it. I asked Mr Potter and his parents to meet me as soon as possible. It pains me but I must ask on behalf of my daughter if 'Arry would take 'er 'and in marriage."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair agitatedly, muttering curses under his breath as well as less than pleasant comments about Harry's father that they both ignored.

"How is Fleur?" Harry asked quietly, halting Sirius's diatribe.

"She ees scared 'Arry" Jean said softly. "Scared, angry and upset. She was unaware of zhis problem Veela possess and ees 'orrified for putting you and 'erself in zhis position."

"It's not" Harry gave his head a shake. "It's not her fault. It's not like she asked for this."

For Harry this whole conversation was downright surreal and unwanted. He didn't want to listen anymore, didn't want to hear that someone's life was resting in his hands.

"What's the timeframe for this?" Sirius asked curtly, standing behind his godson, hands gripping his shoulders.

"Roughly six weeks" Jean sighed, looking worn and sad.

Six weeks. Harry felt numb as he processed this, his mind struggling to comprehend the idea that unless he agreed to marry a witch he barely knew in a little over a month she would be dead, her magic staying with him forever.

His dinner seemed to be trying to make a reappearance, bile rising up his throat. Halfway through Jean-Claude Delacour's explanation of sharing magic, he'd started trying to get rid of the strand that he now knew connected him and Fleur. He'd pulled it, twisted, tugged, tried forcing his magic to crush the foreign presence by sheer force, but the ribbon simply rippled and danced away unharmed. It was a part of his magic now despite its origins, he couldn't attack it or rip it away. He could almost feel a separate conscious along the ribbon, like muffled voices in another room, just out of range to hear clearly.

"There's nothing else I can do?" he whispered helplessly. The idea of bonding-marriage until death-was utterly mindboggling. He was fourteen for Circe's sake! He had never even had a girlfriend and now he was expected to marry?

"You do not have to do anything" Jean said quietly, making Harry jerk his head up to stare at him.

"I meant what I said earlier Mr Potter" Jean's voice was calm and clear, regaining its polished accent. "My family and I are aware that this is something incredibly difficult to bear. We will not force you to marry Fleur. The situation is highly unfair to you both and you have already done us a great debt saving our daughter at great risk to yourself. I cannot expect you to sacrifice so much no matter what I feel. Whatever your decision, I will honour."

Harry stared at the man, unaware that he was trembling or that the room temperature had begun to drop steadily. This man was a Master Occulmens, able to hold his emotions but Harry for the life of him couldn't comprehend how he could sound so cold. His daughter's life was in his hands he should be pleading with him to save her life, no matter the cost. Where was the anguish and all that? His parents may not be parent of the year material but they would not be as composed if Rose had been in this position.

Rosie. For a moment, Harry tried to imagine his sister in this position and ice gripped his heart. His sister saved by a complete stranger only to discover she had to marry him if she wanted to live. He would be horrified and desperate if it had happened to either of his siblings, not just Rose. Or what about Luna or Hermione? How would he feel about a guy who had to marry someone he cared about in order to save them? How would he react if the guy _didn't_ save them?

He looked at Jean-Claude Delacour and thought about Fleur. The beautiful aloof Veela witch was not at fault. It was not as if she chose this, planned on getting them into this situation. How could he blame her for something she had no control over? Could he let her die because he did not help her and live with her magic inside him for the rest of his life, reminding him of his inaction? Mr Delacour had said he would respect his decision, but what would Harry himself feel if he left Fleur to die?

Harry closed his eyes trying to imagine if he agreed. Married to Fleur Delacour! She was drop dead gorgeous but that was hardly something to build a relationship on. Hermione would box his ears if she heard him talk like Ron Weasley. There were far more important things than looks. For all he knew she could be a complete cow, a harpy in Veela skin. What would everyone say? His parents, his friends, the British public? He was the heir to the Potter family, brother of the Boy-Who-Lived for goodness sake; Rita Skeeter would be in heaven, ferreting around them like a hyena over a buffalo carcass. Marriage-living together, sharing the same space, couple like…activities, having a family….Harry had to stop thinking along those lines before he passed out.

Giving his head a slight shake he realised Sirius had taken to interrogating Fleur's father with the ease of one excellent at obtaining information from reluctant parties. Jean-Claude Delacour was perfectly willing to divulge the information however, not like most of the suspects Padfoot usually dealt with.

He's scared, Harry realised with clarity. He could lose his daughter in the next few weeks of course he was scared. He was a politician; he had to control his emotions in tense situations but he was likely as happy with the situation as Harry was. His daughter's fate was in the hands of a fourteen year old boy and he had no control over the situation.

A swell of pity rose up Harry's stomach; for himself, for Fleur, for her father. He closed his eyes and silently said a prayer to all of the deities he knew that he was not about to ruin his life.

"_Potter men have a long and proud history"_ Reginald Potter, his several times great grandfather spoke in his mind, an image of the man's portrait in his mind's eye_. "Whether be in the House of Wizengamot or in the fields of battle, Potters were there, protecting their homeland and hearth. It is the duty of the Noble Houses to protect those that cannot protect themselves and we Potters have fought and died for a just cause. Remember boy, your ancestors' triumphs and do them proud. We may not live forever, but we live and we fight for what we believe in. What is it that your mother said to me once? 'There is a difference between what is right and what is easy?' Words to live by when you become the Head of the Family Harry James."_

He doubted this was what Reginald had had in mind when he impressed the importance of his family history to the next Lord Potter.

He took a deep breath and straightened his spine. He was Harry James Potter, son of Lily and James Potter, descendant of Godric Gryffindor and he was not about to walk away from his responsibility. He would not let Fleur Delacour die because of his actions.

"Paddy" Harry said softly, interrupting Sirius's words.

The Animagus blinked. He hadn't been called that by his nephews since they'd gone to Hogwarts. When they'd been younger, the Potter children would tackle him and James, calling them 'Daddy and Paddy'. These days only Rosie called him that.

Sirius and Harry met each other's eyes, an entire conversation silently being sent and received. Sirius grimaced as he took in his godson's stance, knowing his mind was made up.

"I need to get the Potters" Sirius broke the stare and turned to speak to Delacour.

"I think that would be best" Jean-Claude agreed quietly.

XXX

A/N:

Before you all bring out the flame throwers and pitchforks I have one word to say. College. A word more terrifying than you can possibly imagine. For all those who haven't experienced it yet all I can say is enjoy the ignorance while it lasts. For the last seven weeks I have been swamped with lab reports, chemical reaction mechanisms and awful things like spectroscopy, organic chemistry and nuclear magnetic resonance. For that matter does anyone know the reaction mechanism for the reaction between 2-aminophenol and phthalic anhydride, producing 2-hydroxyphenylphthalimide? I STILL don't know and the report's due tomorrow.

Another thing was that this chapter was incredibly difficult to write. I found it awful and I'm still not satisfied with it. I've spent weeks working on it and I'm going cross-eyed with it and have decided to just throw it out there. I've tried to keep the familial interactions realistic and not OTT. I want my characters to be believable and for people to actually empathise with them.

Oh and one other thing, languages are not my strong suit. I've spent 14 years of my life learning Irish, six years with French and can barely string sentences together in either language. So I'm using Google translate and I know from experience that translations are NOT entirely accurate.

_Bonjour_-hello

_Au bout du couloir __à__gauche-_down the hall to the left (French)

_Gracias_-thank you (Spanish)

_Cachu_-shit (Welsh)


	5. Chapter 5

Albus Dumbledore sighed deeply and carefully cradled his large mug of hot chocolate. He took a grateful sip of the hot sweet liquid, relishing the comforting heat it brought, warming him down to his fluffy violet slipper socks. He gratefully reclined back against his favourite cushy armchair, more than eager to unwind from the very long day.

He sipped his treat with satisfaction. He wished he could have gone to the kitchens as was his habit; he thoroughly enjoyed talking to the house elves while they worked. But he was tired and he had little desire to run into any of the number of people in the castle that were eager to eviscerate him over today's events.

He closed his eyes.

In hindsight, it hadn't been his best idea to use younger members of important families in the Second Task but there was little to be done. But it irked the old Headmaster of being accused of kidnapping, no matter how…appropriate the statement might have been.

Traditionally the Second Task of the TriWizard Tournament had been designed to test the Champions intelligence and their wits. As per the custom, the judges and the demonstrators took an oath of silence for this Task alone. It was tradition, intended that the Champions were not aided nor were the judges bribed to release the details prematurely, allowing the Champions to compete fairly. The oath allowed them to converse with one another, to finalise details and last minute changes but they could not tell anyone about the task not in the oath. There were of course certain loopholes-it couldn't stop people from overhearing details as organisers discussed them (an obvious fact that many had exploited over the years) but a simple privacy charm negated that possibility. The Champions had been informed of this beforehand. So why was everyone so furious?

He grimaced, unable to lie to himself. What had made it a problem was using an underage daughter of a foreign politician as a hostage. Never mind that Fleur Delacour had no other person she would _'sorely miss'_ and that he had personally ensured the hostages would be perfectly unharmed it was apparent that Jean Claude Delacour was enraged and would not listen to reason. Olympe was Fleur Delacour's Headmistress and she was not receiving nearly the same fury and the Minister was all too eager to put the blame in his lap-after all he was the head of the Tournament. If it had been an English national there wouldn't have been such a fuss. He was not looking forward to tomorrow's copy of the_ Daily Prophet_.

He sighed deeply and added pink and white marshmallows to his chocolate, smiling slightly as they began to melt. There was nothing in life that compared to sugary goodness.

His bad mood began to dissipate, the chocolate working its own kind of magic, spreading warmth deep in his old bones.

He had miscalculated, he mused, swirling the cup gently. It was foolish of him to expect a foreign wizard to believe that he would never harm or allow harm to fall upon a child, any child. In his determination to keep the Tournament as fair as possible, he had almost completely damaged relations between Britain and France not to mention putting considerable strain in the ICW and jeopardising his position in the body. He would apologize in the morning and be sure to inquire on his elder daughter, Fleur. He hoped she had fully recovered from her ordeal.

The Tournament was definitely arduous, he mused, swirling the marshmallows around, and far more bothersome than he had anticipated. He had suspected there would be strange happenings, but even with his suspicions he had been completely unprepared.

A fourth Champion had been selected, unprecedented in all of the Tournaments history. Harry Potter, Lily and James eldest and heir had been forced into the Tournament. Heir to the Potter fortune, brother of Nathan Potter the Boy-Who-Lived, it had been Harry whose name had come out of the Goblet of Fire.

It was that detail that had him at an absolute loss. Harry Potter, not Nathan Potter had been entered into the TriWizard Tournament.

He had to admit, that out of any of his students finding themselves forced into the Tournament against their will, he would have laid odds on Nathan Potter, not his brother. Nathan had a very good knack of getting into trouble very easily.

The Tournament was a largely political exercise, the Ministry eager to strengthen ties to the outside world and draw attention to Britain. _Well that had certainly happened, though probably not in the way Cornelius had hoped_, he thought wryly, sipping his chocolate. Britain had become fairly isolated in the magical community over the last hundred years and it had been hoped this would reaffirm its ties to the outside world.

Now instead it had become an absolute circus. A fourth Champion, endangered dragon eggs destroyed, kidnapping allegations, a near fatality…and constant whispers of something far more sinister lurking in the shadows that were considerably more worrisome. His lips pursed and his grip tightened on his mug.

_Tom._

Voldemort was stirring, he was sure of it. For the last few years there had been signs, but recently they were escalating. The Dark Mark appearing at the World Cup. The death of a man near the Riddles' old house. Bertha Jorkins disappearing in Albania, the last known place where Voldemort resided.

He had a very bad feeling that these things were connected.

Albus was adamant that it was Voldemort and his supporters that slipped Harry Potter's name into the Goblet of Fire. He certainly had the motivation and skill to do so. The question was _why_? Why Harry and not Nathan? It was so bizarre that Albus had actually second guessed himself; wondering if it had been someone else attacking the Potter family. They had plenty of enemies, not all of them Voldemort's followers. But confounding a powerful magical item such as the Goblet of Fire required skill and incredible magical power, not to mention considerable knowledge as well as subtlety. Tom was certainly knowledgeable and insidious enough to plan such a piece of sabotage and he had followers at large still willing to act on his behalf, many of whom had the power to hoodwink the enchantments on the Goblet.

And yet Harry's name was entered under a fourth school. That truly puzzled him. Tom for sure would not miss a chance to take revenge against the one who had led to his downfall. Unless he wanted Nathan unharmed for a more nefarious purpose he had planned for a later date.

Perhaps he sought to take revenge against the Potters more indirectly and sought Harry's death to punish his parents and his brother by entering the boy in a Tournament that had been disbanded for the large death toll? It was certainly indirect and inaccurate; the boy had not only survived but was actually winning against Champions three years his senior! But the person who had slipped Harry's name into the Goblet was no doubt watching the Tournament closely and reporting everything to him.

It was possible the servant or Tom had confused the two boys but that was highly unlikely. Tom was insane certainly from the numerous vile rituals he had undergone years ago, but his intellect was still intact. Bellatrix Lestrange, the escapee from Azkaban was deranged but he doubted even disguised she would be capable of hiding in the castle or on the grounds. That troubled him. There was something he was missing in all of this.

The Tournament certainly increased opportunities for attacks, with so many guests and dignitaries, security was tight but still had cracks and weaknesses to exploit with the proper motivation. Even the full time Auror presence that James and Sirius had demanded did not help much. And Tom was far too cunning to miss a potential opportunity. He was truly Slytherin's heir.

An old sadness unfurled in his chest as he recalled what promise the young Tom Riddle had once possessed. He had been intelligent, charismatic, brilliant, a joy to teach. But even then Dumbledore had seen the seeds of the darkness within the lad. He had resolved to keep a close eye on the boy and had linked many nasty incidents to him and his 'friends'. Dippet, rest his soul, had been a kind hearted man and was blinded with his sympathy for the young orphan, as well as charmed by the boy's charisma. Albus's warnings had fallen on deaf ears.

And mere decades later that young brilliant student morphed into Lord Voldemort, the most feared Dark Lord since Gellert himself.

He did not allow his thoughts to dwell on that path and instead returned to the matter at hand; Harry Potter in the TriWizard Tournament.

He had to honest; he did not know Harry as well as he did Nathan. He kept a close eye on the Boy Who Lived as he grew up and had had some say in the boy's rearing; although limited. It had been he who had discovered Nathan's potential to become a Mage. They were quite rare; he himself was only a sorcerer, a step below a Mage. Tom, he suspected was also a Mage; he certainly was more powerful than he, though he had the edge in skill and experience. Nathan had the potential to become even more powerful than him as well.

He had advised against training Nathan early. Partly for the risk to the boy's magic, but also for the concern that he would fall into the temptation of power, much like Tom had done as a child. But several attempts on his life made James determined to teach him as early as his magic was ready. The boy was powerful for his age, notably so, though his school work was only average, much to Minerva's dismay.

He was certainly brave; stopping the theft of the Philosophers Stone in his first year with his friends Ronald Weasley, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. He had been very proud of his student's actions that night; the boy had been resourceful and determined and willing to face Voldemort himself, which spoke volumes about the lad's character. Other adventures throughout his school career showed a boy that, with guidance, could face his looming destiny. That was the most important thing. The young lad showed no signs of going dark, which soothed him immensely. It would have been a disaster for the Light if Nathan were to be swayed to the Dark. As he grew older those worries and uncertainties grew as teenagers were notoriously rebellious. Nathan came from a powerful light minded family but there were always exceptions, Sirius a prime example of that. He had to be guided down the right path as well as recognise and reject the Dark.

But Harry was different. Nathan had to learn to trust and rely on Albus for guidance when Tom returned. Harry did not play a great role in his plans in comparison. He and Neville were the two other candidates for the Prophecy and he had kept a half eye on them; most of his attention on Nathan. He had resolved early on to allow their parents most of the guidance to keep on the right path; the Potters and Longbottoms had always been staunch supporters of the Light and the Order, he could trust them to care for them. As it was, he had no desire to try and interfere in Neville's upbringing with Alice AND Augusta Longbottom guarding the boy. He had always thought it had been better that Tom had gone after the Potters. Augusta had always been implacable and it would have been impossible to get any contact with the boy much less guide him with his destiny.

Harry had never seemed to be as taken with Albus as Nathan was. He had rarely seen him during his trips to the Potter home. He had often had pressing business and had to leave abruptly following tense conversations between Lily and James. Albus could vividly recall an intense discussion between himself and the Potters being disrupted by frantic shouts from the boys causing the adults to race out of the study, only to find Rose in a curled ball at the end of stairs trembling while her scared brothers tried to help her.

Albus could still remember during the frantic rush of alarm and confusion of a split second accidently meeting Harry's eyes as they realised that their argument had caused Rose's distress. The regret Albus had felt for causing a child pain was nothing compared to the chill Harry's icy glare gave him as young bright green eyes condemned one of the most revered wizards alive.

For a split moment he had gone back in time and the green eyes were familiar blue as Aberforth silently damned him for his attitude towards their sister as he held her body to his tightly to stop her hurting herself.

It had been a sobering moment and Albus was not proud to admit that he kept his distance from Harry and his sister ever since. The parallels between Harry and Rose and Aberforth and Arianna cut too close to the bone.

Of course that would make Nathan Albus and that thought was too unbearable to dwell on.

He forcibly wrenched his thoughts away from unpleasant memories and focused on what he actually knew about the eldest of the Potter children.

Harry Potter was an above average student, noticeably intelligent and studious. He was best friends with Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom and the three were among the best students of their year. He was also close to Luna Lovegood, a Gryffindor a year below them. They were a tight knit group, separate from Nathan's clique of friends.

The group had their own adventures in Hogwarts walls. Harry and Neville had taken down a mountain troll in their first year, something that still gave Minerva chills. A year later the group had discovered and managed to kill, Slytherin's prized basilisk.

Attracting danger was obviously in the Potter blood.

And now Harry was in the Tournament.

Lily had been in hysterics when she had found out her oldest child had been forcibly entered into a binding magical agreement for an extremely dangerous magical event. She had years to process the idea that her youngest son would be a target for Voldemort and his followers, the idea of her eldest son dying seemed to have completely shattered her restraint. Denial was a wonderful thing.

Mind you, Harry was performing exceptionally well, especially given the disadvantage with his age and experience. He managed to completely stun a crowded arena during the First Task by simply walking into the enclosure and _talked _to a raging nesting Hungarian Horntail. And the dragon had not attacked.

Never in his one hundred and fifty years...he still wasn't sure what the boy actually did. _Talking _to a Hungarian Horntail…

Unease flickered in his mind. Nathan was a Parselmouth. James had confessed years ago when Nathan first displayed his ability that the Potters were actually distantly related to Slytherin, which he'd already suspected, given the Cloak of Invisibility.

Dragons were related to snakes. It had been theorised that dragons may understand Parseltongue, not that it had been proven. But Parseltongue was a rare enough trait and Harry had already shown no other signs of understanding Parseltongue during the reign of terror in his second year, when Nathan complained of hearing voices in the halls.

It was all terribly puzzling and Albus detested ignorance, especially in such crucial matters. There was something strange about Harry Potter and it was clear he was becoming very powerful. He could not take the chance that he may go dark like another of his students so long ago.

It seemed he would have to start taking a more active role in Harry's life as well.

He drummed his fingers restlessly against the arm of the chair, his chocolate beginning to cool, cursing his cowardice. If he hadn't been so foolish as to keep his distance from the boy he wouldn't be in such a predicament. For all he knew, he could play a part in helping Nathan fulfil his destiny. At the very least he was the Potter heir and Albus would need his support if things took a turn for the worse.

He would have to address and improve his relationship with the eldest Potter child. There was far too much at stake to allow such petty feelings get in the way of the Greater Good.

Such thoughts were his company long after his hot chocolate had been finished, his aged but agile mind spinning with ideas, suspicions and possibilities.

XXX

Harry was ready to start kicking walls.

He let out a growl, far louder and menacing than a human throat should have been able to produce as he glared at the unyielding wooden door.

Sirius had finally managed to bully, threaten and beg his parents to come to Hogwarts to discuss the rather large problem of their eldest son having to marry a Veela in a few weeks to save said Veela's life. Once they had processed that information and comprehended it, they had unceremoniously kicked him out of the damn room. He had to marry a complete stranger within a month because of a Life Debt and they were treating him as if he were five years old!

Growling in frustration, Harry paced restlessly, his body aching and wired with tension. Pomfrey would likely be cross when he eventually got back to her but the wrath of the Queen of the Hospital Wing was for once disregarded. There were far more important things at stake than pacifying the relentless witch.

He sighed and leant against the wall, casting a baleful glare at the door.

The only time he had ever this restless was the time he had been recovering from wizard's flu that he'd picked up from visiting Rose in St Moons. It had been awful; aches, pains and the occasional sudden unsteadiness like his legs were going to give out on him. But once his fever had broken he'd been too eager to get out of bed to care. Emmeline had been at her wits end with him and Nate; they had been awful patients. Neville who had gotten it from them had been an angel supposedly, the prat.

Snorting, he tore his eyes away from the door and looked down the hallway of the carriage. Even after living in the Wizarding world his entire life, it was strange to be in something that looked small from the outside but could hold over a hundred people inside. It was also pretty embarrassing, sitting in a school corridor as if he was waiting to be scolded by his teacher for not doing his homework or passing notes in class. Thankfully, there hadn't been any Beauxbatons staff or students going past. From what he had gathered, they were in the guest section of the carriage.

Sighing, Harry wearily dropped into the chair his father had conjured before warding the door after Harry had refused to leave. He let his head fall into his hands, cradling it for a moment, before sighing gustily and running a hand through his messy hair.

He lowered his hands to his lap and just stared at them, his thoughts far away.

His life was far too complicated for a fourteen year old. He had thought it was bad enough being his brother's twin, forever in his shadow, but this…he'd much rather be in the shade.

He tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling. His life sucked. He didn't like self-pity, but tonight seemed a good time to pick up the habit again. His life _really_ sucked.

The story of his life really-he'd done a good thing and it ended up blowing up in his face. He'd saved his fellow Champion from drowning and he'd ended up essentially killing her anyway-unless he married her. It sounded like a twisted fairy-tale and it could _only_ happen to him.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably, as though he'd swallowed a live snake. Urgency pressed down on him, the weight of a life hanging in his hands. Fleur's life resting on his decision. No pressure or anything.

_I am so not ready for this,_ he thought miserably. Forget Gryffindor bravery. He had never felt less like a Gryffindor. He had been in dangerous situations before. He'd faced Dementors, a dragon, had almost died when he was 12 from a basilisk fang being stabbed to the bone of his arm. But those had been instances it had been simple. Survival had been in mind, for him, for his friends, they had had to conquer an enemy. But there wasn't an enemy here to confront and defeat. What exactly _could_ he do?

From what Jean Claude had told him and the little he'd read from the file from the EMHC, not much. And considering how long it was taking for his parents and Padfoot to leave the office, they weren't having better luck. And if there was no other option available…

A sigh left Harry's lips and he opened his eyes. And startled with surprise.

His hands, which had been lying cupped in his lap, were no longer empty. As he lifted them closer to his lap, his own reflection stared back, perfectly formed in the pure clear water that had formed while he had been moping, not a single drop spilling from his hands.

Clearly his powers _had_ been affected from the second task. Water was considered to be linked to emotions and dreams so it made sense that when he was brooding water was stirred. His other mastered element, fire, was linked to passion and creativity and for months he had accidently caused fires when his feelings were even slightly inflamed. He had only begun to rein in his talent in when this happened.

_Thank Merlin for Occulmency_, Harry thought as he studied the crystal clear water. _I probably would have killed myself and everyone around me if I couldn't control my feelings. _Why _did my powers have to grow now? _

According to Reginald Potter, his ancestor and fellow elemental, he had gained his form of an ice fox when he had been 29. Reginald's uncle Albert, a stone elemental had gained his in his early forties. There was simply no rhyme or reason to explain why some developed their powers early and others late, though his had manifested well beyond the norm.

Then again magic did not always follow strict guidelines about how it should behave.

He grunted in amusement and willed his magic to dissipate. The water rippled as it faded away and he clapped his hands together, his palms stinging. He leaned against the chair, blowing out a breath and sent a baleful look at the door, feeling rather petulant, and his knee jumping incessantly as he folded his arms, absently rubbing his upper left arm.

If he was treated like he was a child he might as well act like it.

He certainly wasn't going back to the Hospital Wing.

Another ten minutes had gone by with no sign from the office. He was beginning to nod off, his head drooping onto his shoulder, when a soft noise made him startle and jerk upright. Someone was heading down the corridor.

In the soft illumination of the torches, Fleur Delacour came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Harry sitting outside her father's office. Her hair was loose and wavier than normal, making her look much younger than seventeen and her eyes were larger and shadowed.

For an instant they gaped at one another, at a complete loss of words, eye comically wide.

Fleur blinked and the spell was broken.

"Err" Harry stammered, his face suddenly heating up. He hastily got up from his chair, cursing his aching limbs that made him stagger like a new born colt trying to find its legs. His mind was suddenly stubbornly blank, like his memory had just been wiped. It would have been a welcome relief, he thought distractedly, to have a sudden amnesia spell and forget the fact he was in such a mess with the girl in front of him.

"'Arry" Fleur breathed, taking a step back in shock.

XXX

Fleur really hadn't expected this. Intellectually she had known this meeting was likely to happen at some point. She just hadn't expected it to happen so _soon_.

She felt uncharacteristically flustered and off balance as she met wide emerald green eyes that had teased her dreams all night. Her heart pounded in her chest like a frightened bird and she could feel her magic shift in response to his presence. It was a troubling sensation.

"Hi" Harry's voice was an octave higher than normal. "How're you?" he winced and shifted awkwardly, glasses flashing as he ducked his head, his face flushed in the light.

"I" Fleur couldn't really say she was fine so she cleared her throat and glanced at the door. "I just came down to talk to Papa." Her throat really was dry she thought, struggling to swallow.

"Oh yeah" Harry bobbed his head quickly in understanding, eyes cutting to the door. "Yeah you're Dad. He's in there with my Mum and Dad. My godfather's in there as well; he called them back here and they, uh... they're talking" he said lamely, looking at a spot at the floor.

"Oh" Her father clearly hadn't wasted time while she'd moped around in bed all day.

"Do you know what zhey are talking about?" Fleur asked unsurely, hunching her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around her waist. The boy was fourteen after all.

Green eyes snapped up to meet hers. For an instant, Fleur's breath caught as she was captured in rich emerald eyes, forgetting herself for a moment as she stared into their depths. She had always scoffed at romantic novels her classmates read; where the hero and the damsel gazed enraptured into each other's eyes and seeing the each other's souls or other such rot. Fleur would prefer to eat Bubotuber pus than read such trash.

But there was nothing trashy about the churning emotion and power she could see flashing through them. For a single instant, the air was charged and electric, the hairs on her arms rising.

Then she forcibly looked away, her cheeks uncharacteristically taking a pink hue, her heart thudding.

"About the Life Debt?" she heard him say softly and her eyes involuntarily flew up again to meet hers. This time, she held herself as she met his eyes. Intelligence and uncertainty along with several other emotions playing through his eyes, flashing by too quickly for her to discern them.

A large obstruction lodged itself in her throat once again; it had been coming and going since her day of moping and crying in her bed. She felt pathetic; wanting merely to crawl under the bed covers and never come out again. Her life as she knew it was over and she just wanted to close her eyes and open them to realise this was all just a really bad dream.

She was drawn from her storm of self-pity by Harry's movement. He'd stepped closer, his eyes running over her face. Idly she took note of the fact his eyes didn't drop below her neck; a welcome change.

He was searching for something in her face, scrutinising her. His penetrating eyes and proximity made it difficult for her to meet his gaze. She forced herself not to step away, struggling not to fold her arms or look away.

Whatever he was looking for, he didn't seem to find it. His eyebrows drew together and he locked eyes with her, refusing to let her look away.

"Is it true what your dad said?" he asked softly, his voice hushed and intent. He was looking for the truth, she realised, her stomach sinking. He didn't believe her father. Who could blame him? She didn't want to believe it.

"The Veela debt" he said, eyes suddenly intense and demanding, urgency colouring his voice and stature as he stared at her, demanding her utmost honesty. Compelling her to speak, a man three years her junior, an inch less in height, intimidating a witch whose ancestors were one of the fiercest races of the world. _"Is it true?"_

"Yes" she breathed out shakily, keeping herself in place by sheer will alone. She didn't have to ask if what was true, she knew. And so did he.

The fire in Harry's eyes went out and he turned away.

The air rushed out her lungs and she felt suddenly chilled as he abruptly turned and walked away from her, running a hand through his hair. She crossed her arms, her hands holding her elbows as she hunched forward slightly, turning her head away to hide her stinging eyes.

Just what had she been expecting anyway?

"Are you okay?"

Fleur's head shot up startled. She'd thought he'd left.

He hadn't. He'd walked back, looking at her in concern. He studied her for a second, and then pulled out a tissue from his pocket. With a quiet murmur, he transfigured it into an old fashioned hanky. Looking rather awkward, he hesitantly offered it to her.

The gesture almost made the fresh tears fall even as her first genuine smile of the day tugged her mouth. The kind and thoughtful action as well as Harry's rather shy, uncomfortable display in response to her visible upset was sweet and rather endearing. It made her feel less miserable.

She took the hanky and flashed her weak, but genuine smile at him. Looking rather relieved, Harry rocked back on his heels, dropping his eyes as she dabbed her raw eyes.

Looking at him properly, she noticed just how tired he looked. He looked pale in the dim light, with deep bags under his eyes, large enough to hold her _Maman's _shopping on a trip to Paris. His commanding and intimidating stature was gone and the gingerly way he now held himself told her he was tired and sore at the very least. Guilt poked her conscience with a sharp stick, prodding mercilessly.

"Do you-"

"I think-"

They stopped and looked at each other. The awkwardness between them was stifling.

Harry cleared his throat and tried again. "I think, maybe, we should talk" he said hesitantly. "Is that ok?"

Fleur swore she felt her heart stop in her chest for an instant. Her thoughts were racing, chanting _'no, no, no, no, NO'_ but what came out of her mouth instead was "_Oui_. I theenk we should talk."

XXX

_Ok Potter,_ Harry told himself, _you said 'let's talk' so TALK for Morgana's sake!_

Sitting beside Fleur in a chair she had conjured, Harry had never felt as out of place. He was acutely aware of the tremors in his legs, the mild chill in the air, the faint warmth emanating from the beautiful, weary girl next to him. And the enormous, flamboyantly pink, as in Albus Dumbledore underwear pink (now wasn't _that _an image to have scoured from the mind immediately) elephant in the hall.

_Give me Slytherin's basilisk any day…_

He glanced at Fleur. The statuesque blonde looked nothing like the aloof and haughty Beauxbatons student he'd first seen. She looked drawn and pale, her hair falling into her face, hiding her face from view. Sitting slightly hunched, her imperious demeanour absent, Harry couldn't help but think she looked…defeated. Her slumped shoulders and bowed head gave the impression that the whole world was on her shoulders.

But didn't she? It wasn't every day you found out your own magic had turned against you, intending to kill you because of a ridiculous twist of genetics.

Harry had always been fascinated by science. His mother had encouraged his few interests of the Muggle world, as always pleased that her heritage was not completely rejected in the high pureblood society they lived in. He and his Uncle Remus had spent hours going through the subject; his uncle often just as amazed and confused by the wide and mind boggling detail the discipline could go.

One of his favourites, by far, was genetics. He had spent hours making charts showing how he and his brother and sister had gotten their hair and eye colour from their parents. How his parents had gotten their genes from their grandparents and so on. As the Noble and Ancient House of Potter, he could trace the ancestors on his father's side and find out some of the traits that had passed down the family, like the messy hair all of them shared to Lily's chagrin.

He'd also found out about inbreeding and how it affected people's health and mind. "Is that why the purebloods' are all crazy?" he'd asked his uncle Remus.

"That's not very nice Harry" his uncle had chided, struggling to supress his grin. "Your family is pure blooded too."

Harry had scrunched up his nose. "Does that mean we're crazy?"

"Well it explains a lot about your daddy doesn't it?" Remus said mischievously, suddenly attacking his nephew's sides, making him scream with laughter.

Harry knew about genetic defects and diseases-well at least he knew a bit, genetics was a seriously big and difficult subject. He knew that damaged genes could cause disease and in a way, this Veela...quirk reminded him of something similar. But even so…this was far outside his comfort zone. This wasn't like haemophilia or other inherited diseases. Without realising it, he had _caused _this genetic crisis.

He was pulled from his musings rather abruptly when Fleur suddenly shifted. Cursing his wandering thoughts, he opened his mouth, having absolutely no idea what to say.

But Fleur beat him to it.

"'Arry" she said softly, her voice rather hoarse and scratchy, a stark contrast to her usual melodious tone. "I _am_ _so sorry_."

Automatically his mouth opened but she continued her voice soft and sad. Her fingers twisted in her lap and she was staring steadily at them, her hair forming a curtain between them.

"I know Papa said he would talk to you and your family" she said quickly, still not looking at him. "But I 'ave to take responsibility. This is my fault."

He really had to look like an idiot, Harry thought as his mouth opened yet again only for Fleur to start talking again. Giving up, he decided to let her say what she needed to say before trying to speak, if only to stop him looking like a gapping fish. It was clear Fleur had to get this off her chest.

"It is not a good excuse but" she paused and took a breath "I found out about zis _yesterday."_ She took another deep breath, almost covering the hitch in her voice. "I 'ad never 'eard of zis before. Apparently we are supposed to be told as children to make sure eet does not 'appen." She laughed without amusement. "Very 'elpful no?"

Fleur, Harry noticed, had a sarcastic streak. Her English also apparently suffered when she got angry; because her accent had thickened the longer she talked.

"Eet is not fair" she hissed, her hands clenching into fists and she whipped her head around to him, ash blonde hair nearly whipping him in the face. Her blue eyes were shooting daggers and Harry controlled the impulse to jump away at the sudden mood change.

"You saved me" she spat, eyes flashing with fury. "You saved my leetle sister Gabrielle. Zere is nothing I can do or say to _ever_ repay you. I was a fool and almost got myself and _my baby sister_ killed. And now my _stupid _Veela blood 'as done zis!" Suddenly absolutely furious, Fleur leapt off the conjured chair, sending it toppling to the floor with a loud bang.

Harry leapt to his feet, feeling the temperature in the hall rise dramatically. Fleur looked like an enraged Norse Goddess, blonde hair swirling like a cape, her eyes flashing with fury, her long limbs loose and strong, ready to strike down any fool mortal who _dared_ to cross her path.

Luckily the only fool nearby was unafraid of fire.

Fleur's hands were still clenched into fists, light bleeding through her fingers as she swung her heard to glare at the ceiling in absolute hatred, hair falling out her eyes. Harry saw her skin ripple peculiarly, like something was moving underneath it as the hall grew even hotter.

"Fleur calm down" he said firmly. Keep calm, don't shout, don't let the really, _really,_ angry witch get angry with him….

She didn't seem to hear him.

"Why?" she said in a low, dangerous voice, more chilling than if she was screaming, the air getting hotter and hotter, her skin moving and flexing unnaturally as she stared upwards. "Why did you do this to me _you bitch_?" she spat at the ceiling.

"Fleur" Harry hunkered slightly into a defensive position. This was _really_ not good.

"Is this a punishment?" she demanded, fire licking her balled hands. "Are you punishing me because I don't follow you anymore? _Je vous hais, vous chienne cruelle_,_ je ne suis pas votre marionette plus!" _

Harry lunged just as she threw up her hands and tackled her, his hands crashing into hers. His velocity threw Fleur against the wall forcefully her back slamming the wall painfully. Harry plastered against her, his hips against hers, his legs keeping her in place while his hands pinned hers to the wall at either side of her head.

Fleur's wide eyes stared into his, too stunned by the sudden turn of events to be angry. Flames licked their joined hands, lighting them like the torches on the wall.

Harry squeezed her hands harder, the heat making his skin tingle. It was not ordinary fire, but that was not important. It would not harm him.

He stared into Fleur's eyes, inches from his own, seeing realisation slowly dawn in her clear turquoise eyes, followed closely by horror.

"Are you ok?" he asked quietly.

Fleur made a choking sound. The flames died abruptly and the hallway plunged back to the cold February air of Scotland.

Fleur's legs buckled and Harry staggered as she slid down, her legs still between his. For the first time he realised just how inappropriate their position was and he sent a mental thank you to the heavens that their parents hadn't walked out of the office at that moment.

Fleur slid down the wall, her legs tucking close to her body as she stared white faced up to him, her eyes huge and stricken. "H-how…?"

Harry gave a half smile that was more of a grimace and crouched down, ignoring muscles that promptly clamoured in protest. "You're not the only one that catches fire when really angry." He scrutinised her, realising to his absolute dismay that she looked close to tears. He would rather have her angry still.

"Hey it's ok" he said lamely, wishing to all his heart that it was true. But the truth was that nothing was alright and both he and Fleur were helpless to stop it.

Fleur closed her eyes and drew her legs up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her knees and pressed her face against them, as she started to shake with silent sobs.

Unable to stay crouched any longer, Harry slid his aching body down the wall beside Fleur, his muscles inordinately grateful for the relief. He glanced at the girl beside him and hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder, expecting to be shrugged off. Instead, Fleur leaned against him, pressing her head against his shoulder. Awkwardly he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, staring at the wall ahead of him, his throat tight and his own eyes stinging.

XXX

She was, she reflected dully, getting very tired of crying.

She had always hated crying, especially in front of others. Crying was a weakness whether or not you were sad. Tears of frustration or anger in the heat of an argument made you look weak, no matter the circumstances.

Now after almost a day of crying, her head had a permanent ache lodged in her skull, her eyes felt ironically dry, itchy and very sore, her hair needed a good brush, her face felt puffy and swollen and she felt so disgusting she had an urge to get an inheritance test done to find out if she really was a Veela because she had never felt less beautiful in her life. And if she wasn't a Veela then she didn't have to worry this ridiculous situation she found herself in.

Her female classmates were stupid. Who cared if she was incredibly beautiful and could reduce men to adoring idiots by just entering the room when she had to _deal _with the morons throwing themselves at her feet, or the scorn and disdain women felt for _her _because of their men behaving like lovesick puppies? They never saw the other side of it-unable to form friendships or meaningful relationships of any kind, being hated for what she had no control over. It's not as if she _asked_ to be a human-hawk hybrid freak that could set someone on fire when she lost control.

She snuck a glance at the boy beside her. He was perfectly unharmed; his hands whole and undamaged and looking as though they hadn't just been flash fried by a rampaging unbalanced feathered witch. He didn't even smell like charred flesh which had always made her retch. It was all terribly confusing and didn't quell her guilt at losing control and putting him in danger in the first place. He'd saved her and Gabby and she'd thanked him by almost killing him. And instead of leaving her running and screaming like a normal-and probably _sane_ individual-he'd stayed behind and tried to comfort her.

It managed to make her feel even worse. Harry was a good person, better than she could ever hope to be. He did not deserve what her accursed heritage had wrought. He shouldn't have to deal with this.

She shifted a little and Harry pulled away.

"Better?" he asked unsurely.

She bobbed her head shakily, trying to smile. It felt incredibly fake. "I'm sorry"

Harry shook his head quickly. "Hey it's ok" he gave her a small grin. "I'm fine."

He was right, he was alright, but she had no idea why.

In answer, he shifted awkwardly and held his hand up, palm out. Air flickered and a tongue of fire erupted from the heart of his palm, lightening up the shadows.

Fleur's mouth dropped open in disbelief. His face a little pained, Harry curled his fingers in on his hand and the flame was instantly extinguished.

"Weird after yesterday" Harry said shifting, sounding completely nonchalant about what he'd just done. "I can't really hold it for very long right now."

She stared at him her mouth half open.

"You're an elemental" she breathed out. He had to be, it was the only thing that made sense. And if what had happened yesterday was any indication, he had to have more than one element.

"Yeah" he ran his hand through his hair, looking a little uncomfortable.

"That's what you did in the lake yes?" she asked keenly fascinated. A thought struck her and her eyes widened. "Is that what you did in the First Task with the dragon?"

Harry ducked his head. "I didn't really do anything in the First Task" he said quietly. "I could kind of… communicate with the dragon. It was really weird and I had no idea what I was doing but I managed to tell her I wasn't going to hurt her eggs." He looked vaguely guilty and looked at his hands. "Pretty unfair huh?"

"You 'ave less education than the rest of us in the Tournament" Fleur pointed out logically, a little nonplussed. "Besides I did the same in the First Task, although not as well as you did." She shrugged self-deprecatingly.

"Yeah but you had a disadvantage in yesterday's task though!" Harry protested. "That wasn't fair at all."

Fleur shrugged and stared at her knees, recalling yesterday's events with all too perfect clarity. Just remembering what had happened made her shiver and rub at her neck, where she could still feel phantom tendrils strangling her.

Harry fidgeted and then burst. "Look Fleur-I'm sorry. Well, sort of, I mean I'm not sorry for helping you yesterday. It's just that I know this" he gestured around them "wasn't your fault. It's not as if you _asked _for this or anything. I mean it's really stupid that I'm getting your _magic_ just because I saved you from some Grindylows. I've been trying to get rid of that by the way, but it hasn't worked yet-"

"'Arry" Fleur leaned over to put a hand on his knee, vaguely amused by his sudden outburst. Any other situation and she would have giggled or scowled at the display.

Harry took a deep breath and calmed down. He turned green eyes on her and she froze in trepidation, her heart stopping mid-thump.

His voice was softer and vulnerable; a heavy weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. Despite his emotion, his face was set and steady, his eyes resolute.

"I won't let you die Fleur" he whispered. "I can't."

A/N:

Ok I want to continue this chapter but after-what five months?-I think people have waited enough.

I'm really sorry about the delay. First exams, then thrown nose first into my second semester, I was completely unprepared. I've had little free time and when I did my muse was nowhere to be found. Naturally enough when I was up to my armpits with work my muse was gleefully dancing in front of me and would wave bye-bye when I was winding down. Writer's block is a seriously irritating phenomena and one I have no interest in becoming close companions with.

This is mostly a filler chapter unfortunately. I want to add more to it, but if I do it'll be another month most likely before I post it. I'll start working on the next chapter and hopefully the next update won't be half as long as the last one.

I got 112 reviews for my last chapter, a huge number for me. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed alerted and messaged me in the last few months.


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